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Chhath Puja 2023: The Grand Festival of Purity

October 30, 2019October 23, 2023 Tietler

Festivals in India have a very close affinity with nature. The people in the era of Indus valley civilization and the other counterpart civilizations had a long history of worshipping natural forces. They said they paid invocation to trees, rivers, soils, clouds and the rains. They had believed in supernatural powers.

Chhath Puja is one of those festival that is most pre-historic and still the least altered.

It is not only a belief but an agglomeration of Science & Tradition. Chatt Puja is to thank the SUN for honour the beauties of life on earth.

In Chhath Puja, people worship nature itself by worshiping the Sun as all the living beings on this planet, either directly or indirectly depend on the sun for solar energy. This festival is considered to be the most Eco-friendly festival. All the rituals are performed on the banks of the rivers or other water bodies.

Everyone salute the rising Sun but it is only Bihar, where people salute Sunset. Worshiping the downing Sun means honouring someone who lose its power but in past that was a superpower and served for the survival of people. The people don’t miss to pay obligation to the one who has served us the whole day.

It is the only festival in the world that is with fast of 36 hours without a drop of water. The rituals of the festival are rigorous and disciplined.

Why is Chhath celebrated?

People during Chhath Puja thank the Sun God for sustaining and supporting life on Earth and seek his protection and blessings.

In Hinduism…

The Sun is considered to be the God of energy and lord of the life.

The Sun is considered as the source of healing too. They believe that the sun helps to cure many illnesses and diseases such as leprosy, etc.

The Sun is considered to be the symbol of stability and prosperity.

People worship the Sun during Chhath Puja for longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and beloved ones.

Chhath Puja is not a gender-specific festival. Also, it is believed that once a family starts performing Chhath Puja, it is their duty to perform it every year and pass it on to the following generations. The festival is skipped only if there happens to be a death in the family that year.

Rituals and Traditions of Chhath Puja:

It is a four-day festival usually celebrated four days after Diwali. The ritual includes taking the holy bath, fasting, standing and worshipping the sun and offering Arghya to ‘Rising and setting Sun”. Devotees during this period observe purity and live frugally. They sleep on the floor on a single blanket. The devotees observing fast are called Vratin only takes one meal on the first day.

1st Day. Nahay Khay: On the first day of Chhath Puja, devotees take a dip in the river Kosi, Karnali or Ganga whichever is near to their residence and bring home the holy water from these rivers to prepare the offerings. This meal is kaddu-bhat cooked over the soil stove.

2nd Day. Kharna: The devotees keep fast for the day and break their fast in the evening after sunset. After taking the meal in the evening, they go on a fast without water for the next 36 hours.

3rd Day. Sandhya Arghya: On this day devotees prepare prasad at home. They are accompanied by their family and other participants, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshiper.

4th Day. Usha Arghya: On the final day, the devotees along with family and friends, go to the riverbank before sunrise, in order to make the offerings to the rising sun.

The festival ends with breaking of the fast by having Chhath prasad.

The significance of Chhath Puja:

On third and fourth, devotees make offering when the sun is setting and just rising. Sunrise and sunset are the most important periods of the day during which a human body can safely get solar energy without any harm. The solar energy has a low level of ultraviolet radiations so it is safe for the human body.
The ritual provides mental calmness by detoxifying the body and mind.
It enhances the energy level and immunity
It reduces the frequency of anger, jealous as well as a lot of negative emotions.
It is also believed that all processes helps in slowing down the ageing process.
Cleanliness and pollution-free of the environment and surroundings are the very integrals of this festivals.

In Indian mythology, it is believed that the Sun has 7 horses and in Science, the waves of Sun is consists of 7 rays, which depict:

Satvik, Swachtta, Sadagi, Sahridyta, Sanyam, Samarpanna and Samrasta

Why is Chhath Puja most eco-friendly festival?

This festival

is considered to be the most eco-friendly Hindu festival because all the things that are used in rituals are obtained naturally. For example, the ‘daura’ and ‘soop’ used in rituals are bamboo products that are bio-degradable. All the rituals are performed on the

banks of the rivers or other water bodies. The use of plastics and synthetic material is completely restricted. Cleanliness and pollution-free of the environment and surroundings are the very integrals of this festivals.

Also in Chhath Puja, people worship nature itself by worshiping the Sun God as all the living beings on this planet, either directly or indirectly depend on the sun for solar energy.

Science behind Chhath (Conscious Photoenergization Process):

Yoga philosophy says the process of Chhath is divided into six stages of the Conscious Cosmic Solar Energy Infusion.

Chhath Puja is a Conscious Photoenergization Process. Praying before the rising/setting sun, the photons enter through the eyes and the skin of the devotee and passing through the brain, it generated a bioelectricity which charges the entire body with the solar energy. Chhath rituals ensure optimum absorption of Vitamin D and Calcium.

Not many people are aware that the scientific process similar to Chhath was used by the Rishis of yore for carrying their austerities without any intake of solid or liquid diet.

1st Stage: Fasting and the cleanliness lead to detoxification of the body and soul. This stage prepares the body and mind of the devotee to receive the cosmic solar energy.
2nd Stage: Standing in a water body with half the body in the water minimizes the loss of energy and helps the psychic energy to move up the psychic channel in the spine.
3rd Stage: Cosmic solar energy takes place in the pineal, pituitary and hypothalamus glands (Triveni complex) by the retina and optic nerves.
4th Stage: Triveni complex gets activated.
5th Stage: After activation of the Triveni complex, the spine gets polarized and the body gets transformed into a Kundalini Shakti.
6th Stage: The body becomes a channel that conducts, recycles and transmits the energy into the entire universe.