Chhath is the biggest festival in eastern state of Bihar which is celebrated in months of October-November generally a week after Diwali the festival of light. It is on the sixth day of Hindu lunar calendar in the month of Kartik.
The entire process begins with a ritual known as Kharna the first day of the two days long festival chath. On this day, women clean the kitchen or choose a sacred place for cooking satwik bhojan (bread and milk).
Women usually, after bathing in river purify themselves and gather at a river-side place. In the evening, they eat, sing and dance. This day virtyally is a preparation day for the brata (fasting) which shall be observed in subsequent days.
The next morning, their fast begins. Right from the morning, they get into the task of preparing food stuffs to offer to Chatti Mai. Thakuwa (mixture of flour, sugar, and raisin) kind of cake, not baked but fried in pure ghee (refined butter), remains the chief item of food variety offere to Chatti Mai. This apart, pieces of sugar cane, sugar cube, dry fruits like cashew nuts, raisins, plumps, apricots, fresh fruits, bananas, apples, oranges etc. are placed in number of baskets in preparation of pooja. The whole day is usually spent in preparation of the worshipping of Chatti mai.
In the evening, at the dusk, the basket full of worshipping materials are rushed to the bank of Ganges or rivers, near by.
Here, the women going knee-deep in water, covering their bodies with a piece of sanctified clothe, pray to Chatti mai setting the fading Sun. They offer argha (water and Prasad) to the Sun in a praying posture. The basket full of pooja materials are touched in river and shown to the Sun.
After the process is completed, the women is knee-deep water take of couple of the dips in water and come out. They replace their wet clothes with the sanctified ones. They spend the whole day fasting.
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On the third day morning, again, the whole pooja stuffs are transported to the river. Here, at dawn, the women again go knee-deep in praying to the rising sun, this time. After the process is repeated, the pooja is over. Then, the women distribute the Prasad (the food stuffs offere to the sun) among men and women attending the ceremony.
They return home where the family members and relatives and neighbors gather and receive tika and Prasad of Chatti Mai.
Thus, after completing the whole rituals, the women break their fast.
Pooja Chhat falls immediately after Deepawali or Laxi Pooja.
The festival widely celebrated in the Nepal’s Eastern Terai remains the most popular festival of the region. With the festival goes the belief that the Chatti Mai worshipped in piety will relieve the people from sufferings. Many take Chatta brata (fasting) to materialize their aspirations.
Chath Puja: Useful Terms:
The sun (the Sun God is worshipped during the festival of Chhath Puja).
In the context of Chhath Puja, Chhath refers to the number six and the importance of this date on the Indian festival calendar
Various interpretations exist of the word “puja,” including worship with offerings, especially of flowers, and ritual anointment with sandalwood paste. Puja is the combination of the Sanskrit words for sin and birth.
Prasad: Ritual offerings.
Puris: This deep-fried bread, made from wheat flour, is traditionally offered at the festival of Chhath Puja.
Thekuwa: This is a wheat-based cake served during the festival of Chhath Puja.
| Quick Facts |
| Time |
Month of Kartik (Oct-Nov) a week after Deepawali |
| Duration |
Four Days |
| Cycle |
Yearly |
| Highlights |
Most celebrated one in Bihar and Jharkhand |
| Main God |
Dedicated to Sun God |
| Legends |
Started by Karna a worrier of battle of Mahabharata |
| Rituals |
Naha-Kha, Kharna, 36 hour of fasting, ritual bathing |
| Place |
On the bank of rivers or large water bodies |
Chhat Puja, the most revered festival
