C for Chhatha - The Festival of Sun God

A to Z challenge 2016

Festivals of India

C is for Chhatha - The Festival of Sun God

In India the month from Navratra to Diwali is called the festival period and the entire country gears up for this festival season with huge buying spree. It starts with the first day of “Ashwin” month of Hindu Calendar (Sep-Oct as per Georgian Calendar) and comprises of 9 days Navratra (Durga Puja in Bengal), followed by Dussehra (Vijay Dashmi) on 10^th day. This is followed by Dhanteras, Karva Chauth, Narak Chaudas & finally Deepawali (Diwali) on 20^th day after Dussehra.

In Bihar and some parts of UP etc. this further continues for six more days in Kartik month of Hindu Calendar (Oct – Nov) as Bhai Dooj, and then four day festival Chhath and finally ends after 30 days as Kartik Purnima.

The festival is also referred to as state festival of Bihar and is thus very close to my heart.

Chhatha is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya and Chhathi Maiya (ancient Vedic Goddess; Usha - wife of Sun God ). As stated above Chhath puja is performed on Kartika Shukla Shashthi (sixth day of month Kartika in the Vikram Samvat).    

Essence :  

The festival unlike other festivals is not just merry making, but entails long hours of fasting by the elders normally women who perform puja in this festival (called vratin). The festival spreads over four days. The Puja is performed in order to thank Surya, considered as the god of energy and of the life-force, for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes (Manita).

Process : 

Day 1 : Nahai Khai or Nahan Khan – symbolises purification of the worshiper (vratin). On this day the vratin take a dip in a river or a pond in the morning and carry home water from the same water body. This water is used to prepare prasad (offerings) for the Sun God. The house and its surroundings are then cleaned. Rice , Dal, Cucumber Vegetable , and bachka of Agastya flower ( vegetable dip in rice paste and deep fried) forms the food and Prasad for this day. The Vratins take only one meal on this day.

Day 2 : Lohanda or Kharna : is the actual start of the festival. The Vratin observe a fast for the whole day, ending it only after sunset and offering the Puja where in Gods are invited to attend the puja. The Prasad for this day is Roti & Kheer (prepared in Gur). (In some other parts meal same as Nahai Khai is also used as Prasad.) After this meal in the night begins another 36-hour tough fast during which they do not even take a sip of water.

Kharna

Kharna 

Soop's set for Araghya

Evening Araghya on bank of  River Ganga in Patna

Day 3 : Sandhya Arghya : The day starts with all elders (even those who are not vratin) taking bath and then prepare the Prasad – Thekua of the festival. In the meantime the men folk arrange all seasonal food from the market in enough quantity to fill the Soops (Tray made up of bamboo). (The soops are in accordance with the pledge taken by the vratin for good beings of different member of the family). These fruits and Thekua amongst other puja material is then decorated in the soop and prepared ready to take to the place of offering Araghya by stacking in Dala (Basket made up of bamboo). Normally the arghya is offered standing in a pool of water i.e. river or pond etc. In the evening at the onset of the hour of Sunset the vratin take holy dip in the water body and worship the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya. The entire family member, along with friends and acquaintances, accompany the women to the riverbank or pond as they offer ‘sandhya arghya’ (evening offerings) to the setting sun, with others singing folk songs meant for the occasion and they offer Arghya. The vratin continue the fast tonight. After the Arghya all return to the house, open these soops, and change the fruits etc for next day's offering.

Day 4: Usha Arghya or Morning Arghya or Paran - Next day early morning devotees gather around the same river or pond and offer ‘Usha arghya’ (morning offerings) to the rising sun. It is only after this puja that the worshippers break their fast. The prasad is then distributed among family members and friends. 

Waiting for the sunrise in the morning to offer Usha Araghya

The Vratin break the fast with full meal especially prepared for this occasion during early morning. It includes Rice, Dal, Kadhi, Lal Saag, Sabji of five varieties, Bachka etc.

Feast after Morning Araghya

Thus concludes the elaborate festival of Chhatha.

Childhood Relevance : Living in a joint family, Chhath would mean festivity with a gathering of over 100 people. It would appear a marriage party in itself with all joining hands to perform the rituals of the Chhatha puja , at the same time arranging for food etc for all the members.

Morning Araghya on bank of  River Ganga in Patna

Chhatha  is also celebrated in the summer (March–April), on Chaitra Shashthi, some days after Holi; and is called Chaiti Chhath. However, the main Chhatha and more popular is Kartik Chhatha as winter is the usual festive. The festival is now found to be celebrated not only in Bihar, UP & Nepal but all parts of world were people from these areas have moved.

 

A beautiful video depicting significance of presence in Chhath

Mythological Relevance :  It is believed that the ritual of Chhath puja may even predate the ancient Vedas, as the Rigveda contains hymns worshiping the Sun God and describes similar rituals. The rituals also find reference in epic Mahābhārata in which Draupadi is depicted as observing similar rites. In the poem, Draupadi and the Pandavas, rulers of Indraprastha (modern Delhi), performed the Chhath ritual on the advice of noble sage Dhaumya. Through her worship of the Sun God, Draupadi was not only able to solve her immediate problems, but also helped the Pandavas later regain their lost kingdom.

The Goddess who is worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhathi Maiya. Chhathi Maiya is known as Usha in the Vedas. She is believed to be the beloved younger wife of Surya, the sun god. Usha and Pratyusha are wives of Surya and Aditi is his mother.

Usha is the term used to refer to dawn– The first light of day. But in the Rig Veda she has more symbolic meaning. Symbolically Usha is the dawn of divine consciousness in the individual aspirant. It is said - Usha and Pratyusha, wives of Sun are the main source of Sun. Both Usha and Pratyusha are worshiped along with Sun in chhath parva. Usha (literally-the first morning sun-ray) is worshipped on the last day and Pratyusha(the last sun-ray of day) is worshipped in the evening by offering water or milk to the rising and setting sun respectively. This is the only parva which signifies rising sun as well as setting sun both.

Aditya Sinha

02.04.2016

That’s for today with C. Tomorrow it would be another festival with “D”

For my parallel second Challenge blog with A pls visit : Let the Soul Pour

For other A to Z challenge blogs visit : A to Z Challenge 2016

Other Festivals in the series   A For Anant Chaturdashi & Akshay Tritiya

                                                   B For Buddha Purnima, Basant Panchmi & Baisakhi

C for Churches in HP

This post is written as a part of April 2015 A to Z challenge. On the third day the word is C and I would talk of Churches in HP.

Churches in HP

Yes – that’s true. HP not only has temples, Shakti peeths, Gurudwaras, Pagodas, Monasteries, but also some of the beautiful Churches too. Though, Christianity made a late appearance in Himachal Pradesh, after the arrival of the British, only around 150 years back, it dawns tall churches as the relics of the British era especially found in the small hill stations that they created as summer retreats for their leisure. It also holds the second oldest church of Northern India, i.e. Christ Church, Shimla.

Main churches in Himachal Pradesh are Christ Church, Kasauli, Christ Church, Shimla, St. Johns Church and St. Patrick's Church, Dalhousie & Church of St. John in the Wilderness, McLeod Ganj. 

Churches have always fascinated me especially because of the solitude it gives with solidarity. It truly is the place to introspect. The vast Prayer halls, the pin drop silence, the serene remnants, the tall towers – all speak aloud. 

Christ Church – Shimla, is situated on the Ridge in Shimla. Its well maintained and has a very majestic appearance. There are stained glass windows inside the hall which adds to its beauty. It truly represents faith, hope, charity, fortitude, patience and humility. 

Christ Church Shimla

Photo courtesy :http://www.toshaliroyalview.com/shimla/churchs-in-shimla.html

Christ Church – Kasauli: Unlike Shimla which has overgrown and got crowded with ongoing commercialization, Kasauli is still unspoilt and very much same as the British left it. A much serene and quite retreat – that which you want when going to a hill station. Just over an hour drive from Chandigarh this offers a better weekend retreat. And the Christ Church here is a must visit. It is a typically angular structure with well proportioned, spires, buttresses and gothic arches framed against the stately deodars.

Christ Church Kasauli

St. John's Church - Dalhousie: Dalhousie has two Churches. St. John’s is situated at the Central Gandhi Chowk, hardly 2 kms. from the main bus stand of Dalhousie and truly seconds the fact that it was the first edifice to be built after the town of Dalhousie was found by the British. The church building stands in a good condition but its surroundings demand much better care. There is a library situated just at the left side of the entrance gate where one can relax research on Dalhousie.

St. John's Church, Dalhousie

Photo Courtesy : http://tourplaces.in/dalhousie

St. Patrick's Church on the other hand is situated in Baloon, Dalhousie Cantt., on Military Hospital road. St. Patrick's Church is the largest church in Dalhousie having a seating capacity of 300 persons in its main hall. It is in a better condition.

St. Patrick's Church, Dalhousie

Photo Courtesy : http://www.honeymoonindia.net/honeymoon-in-dalhousie.html

Church of St. John in the Wilderness, Mc Load Ganj. : It stands just on the main road to McLeod Ganj, hardly half a km before the main city center. This too has stained-glass windows and is one of the few remaining traces of McLeod's days as a British hill station. It’s open on Sunday mornings for a weekly 10am service. The cemetery contains the graves of many victims of the 1905 earthquake, as well as the rocket-like tomb of the Earl of Elgin, 23rd Viceroy of India.

St. John Church in the Wilderness, McLoed Ganj

Chamba Church - situated in the main Chamba market, this beautiful Church unlike other church is not built by Britishers. It was erected by Raja Sham Singh and gifted to the church of Scotland mission for the use of the christian community in Chamba in the end of 19th Century. It is called Scotland Church.

Chumba Church of Scotland

That's for today. Tomorrow would be D. Do visit again to know more.

For other posts on Himachal written as part of Ato Z Challenge : List of post on Himachal Pradesh written as part of A to Z challenge.

Aditya Sinha

For other participants in the challenge visit : A to Z Challenge