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Chhath, the great festival of Sun worship, is celebrated with reverence and faith throughout the country. In this festival which lasts for four days, devotees worship Sun God and Chhathi Maiya and pray for the happiness, prosperity and healthy life of their families. A glimpse of this festival can be seen from Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh to other parts of the country and Nepal. Chhath Puja begins with Nahay-Khay and ends with ‘Usha Arghya’ i.e. offering Arghya at sunrise. This festival is considered a symbol of Sun worship, purity, restraint and gratitude towards nature.

According to mythological beliefs, Chhathi Maiya or Shashi Devi is considered to be the sister of Sun God. It is said that by the grace of Chhathi Maiya, the children get long life and the family gets happiness and prosperity. At the same time, there is mention of worship of Sun God through Mother Sita in Ramayana and through Karna in Mahabharata, which further increases the historicity of this festival.

Mythology of Chhath Puja

According to a legend, when Yamraj could not go to his sister Yamuna’s house when she called him, he felt injustice and kept a fast to honor his sister. According to the story, Yamuna started this festival by worshiping the Sun God.

In the second story, it is said that Shashi Devi (Chhathi Maiya) by her grace had revived the dead son of a king Priyavrat. Since then he has been worshiped for the protection of children and prosperity of the family.

Apart from this, symbols of this festival are also found in the epics. It is said in Ramayana that Goddess Sita observed a fast after returning to Ayodhya as a courtesy to Lord Surya. At the same time, in the Mahabharata, in the pre-war period, Karna and Draupadi-Pandavas had offered Arghya to the Sun.

Beliefs to Chhath Puja

This festival is mainly celebrated to worship Surya (Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya (Sixth Goddess). Devotees believe that observing their fast, Arghya and Nahay-Khay protects health, age, prosperity and family. The main day of Chhath festival falls on Shukla Shashthi date of Kartik month.

It is also seen as a form of gratitude for the agricultural time; it is believed that this festival is celebrated to express gratitude towards the blessings of the Sun and the elements of nature after the harvest.

Mention of Chhath festival in scriptures

There is limited direct description of Chhath Puja in the Mahapuranas, but it is believed that this sub-purana is described in the Samva Purana. Similar elements of the customs and rituals of this festival are found in the mantras of Sun worship in Rigveda.