Chath Puja is an inseparable part of Bihar. No matter where the Biharis go, they celebrate this festival with the same decency. Now again it’s time for chath puja 2022 and the Biharis have started its preparations. But very few people know that it is one of the Vedic festivals. Chath Puja has been called the most eco friendly and scientific festival on earth. I guess you are now excited to know more about this very very special festival rooted very deep in the culture since a long time.
What is Chath Puja?
Chath is a yearly festival of Bihar in which the devotees pray to the rising as well as the setting Sun. It is a four day festival starting from “Nahay Khay” then “Kharna”, “Sandhya Argh” and “Bhorka Argh”.
- Nahay Khay: It literally means eating after having a bath. Starting from this day all the members of the family are responsible to keep the surroundings clean. No one should eat any fruit as it has now become the “Bhog” (offering) for the Sun God and can only eat after the “Bhorka Argh” which is the last day.
- Kharna: Kharna is the 2nd day of this festival where devotees prepare the offerings in the evening. The person observing the fast is called “Vrati” and only that person is allowed to stand in the water in the next two days and pray to the god and offer the prasad. After the rituals are over the Vrati shall only eat the prasad. It is mandatory that the Vrati should eat alone.
- Sandhya Argh: It is the evening prayers which are done on the 3rd day of this fest. On this day the devotees pray to the setting Sun which is very rare in nature as it is only seen in Chath puja.
- Bhorka Argh: The morning praying which is also the last day of this auspicious festival. Again on this occasion devotees reach the ghats, rivers, ponds, etc similar to the Sandhya Argh but before the surnise. They wait for the sunrise on the ghats while the “Vratis” stand in the middle of the water and wait for the sun to rise. Once the sun is up in the sky they start to offer fruits and other prasad one by one.
What is Argh?
I have mentioned Argh many times in the above paragraph. So what is it? It is not just praying or offering. It is the process of offering water or milk in particular to the Sun.
Will only Bihar be celebrating Chath Puja in 2022?
You might have a misconception that only Biharis celebrate this special festival which is slightly wrong. Along with Biharis, people from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Nepal also pay gratitude to the Sun God on this auspicious occasion. Also the migrants of Bihar now residing in other parts of the nation or even outside the nation do celebrate this festival.
Who was the first to celebrate Chath Puja?
Well, you might be expecting a person to be named here who started this. But as per the evidence there is no such person who can be identified as the initiator of this festival. But the first mention of this festival can be found in Rigveda. Now do not misunderstand that they have named it “Chath Puja” in Rigveda exactly. But there are hymns for the Sun God and they used to perform Puja by fasting and it lasted for 3 to 4 days.
There are references from the two main epics of Hindus which are Mahabharata and Ramayana which mention some characters who did similar kind of celebration and paid gratitude to the Sun God. Those were Karna and Draupadi as well as the Pandavas. From Ramayana there are references which depict Lord Rama and Goddess Sita praying to the Sun God for health and prosperity.
The tradition of worshipping nature
The tradition of worshipping nature is not new. In fact almost each and every civilization in the world has worshipped nature in any form at some point of time. If we talk about the Sun God here then many cultures and religions have worshipped Sun in one or the other way.
If we talk about the Indian civilization, then India has a tradition of worshipping nature in many ways. In fact most of the Gods in India are a personified in the form of nature.
Is Chath Puja really sceintific?
Sun is the prime source of energy and life on earth. Without Sun there is no Solar System at all. It is the one who has tied each and every planets around it in a way so that they do not collapse.
Health benefits
During the festival, one has to fast and stand in the middle of any water body (flowing river, pond or tank) and wait for the sun to rise and then pray. Then what is so scientific about it? Well, fasting is one of potent way of cleansing the body internally which has been proven by the researches and observations of modern medical science.
Again, sun light is beneficial for health in many ways. It helps to increase the production of vitamin D in the body. It helps to cure many skin diseases. When we talk about sunlight then the sun rays at sunrise and sunset is more beneficial and has no harm for humans. Also in Chath, devotees pray to the rising as well as setting Sun. Hence there is no doubt in the fact that Chath has many health benefits.
Social Integrity
This nation is demographically very diverse. There are many layers in the society which are diversified as per their contribution to the society. However with time it became rigid and distant from each other. However this festival brings all of them together to prepare for it.
Since very long, this festival has no constraint for anyone of any caste or status. You are a widow/widower, married/unmarried and even third gender, you can definitely perform this festival with equal comfort and delight.
Freedom of worship
Unlike other festivals you don’t need a Pandit (priest). All the preparations are done by the family members themselves. Whoever in the family wants to do it, can start but there is a certain way to begin it.
Cleanliness is the key
One of the most essential part of Chath Puja is cleanliness. Everything which is a part of the festival must be clean. With cleanliness comes hygiene which helps to control many diseases.
The ecological benefits
During Chath, devotees clean their surroundings, ponds, rivers and other kinds of water reservoirs. They clean the path leading towards the Ghats(bank of the river/pond where the devotees would be conducting the rituals of the festival). This may look very normal but it has many other advantages. After monsoon and before winter is a time when mosquitos starts to breed in dirty or logged water. If it is not cleaned, it would cause many diseases like Maleria, Dengu, black fever etc. Also the cattles drink this water and if they drink dirty water they will fall ill and this will directly impact the farmers.
Simplicity of the festival
Unlike any other festival, Chath Puja does not require expensive Prasad(offerings) or decoration or arrangements. You just have to decorate the “Ghat” with banana tree trunk and branches of Ashoka tree and that’s it. As Prasad(offering) you can use any fruit of that season like coconut, banana, or something which the elders suggest.
Now if you are not near any water reservoir such as river or pond then don’t worry. You can even do it standing in a big bucket filled with water. It establishes the saying “मन चंगा तो कठौती में गंगा” . You just have to keep in mind that whatever you do, you do it with full dignity and devotion.
Conclusion
Chath Puja is the prominent festival of Bihar in particular although as we saw that people from neighboring state also celebrate with great charm. No matter where the people of Bihar will reside, they won’t miss to celebrate this festival. Origin of Chath festival is debatable but there are references from the “Rigveda”.
It is about paying gratitude to the sun for it’s contribution in the existence of life on earth and the rituals have other benefits as well. The social and ecological benefits are evident and are already proven by environmentalists. There are many health benefits associated with it which we have already discussed. With all of its advantages and flexibility it is very simple in nature without any glamourous show. So let us all pray to the Sun god for our health and wealth and pay our gratitude’s. Happy Chath Puja to all of us🙏.
