अब आप न्यूज्ड हिंदी में पढ़ सकते हैं। यहाँ क्लिक करें
Home » Featured » Chhath Puja: Lesser known interesting facts about the festival

Chhath Puja: Lesser known interesting facts about the festival

By Newsd
Published on :

Chhath Puja, an ancient Hindu festival widely celebrated in Nepal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, is performed as thanksgiving to Surya – The Sun God for sustaining life on earth and granting Health, Prosperity and Abundance.

According to Hindu traditions, the sun god ‘Surya’ is the supreme deity which represents will-power, fame, the eyes, general vitality, courage and kingship. Unlike other Hindu Pujas which involve idol worship, this festival is dedicated to worshipping a natural phenomenon which is in fact the life force of our planet.

The word Chhath in Chhath Puja denotes the number 6 in Hindi as the festival begins on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. Chhath celebrations carry on for four days, during which the devotees, mostly women, follow rigorous rituals including long fasts, holy baths in the Ganga at sunrise and sunset, and eating food cooked without salt, onion, and garlic.

Here are few interesting facts about the festival

Chhath rituals hold scientific significance

The processes and the rituals of the Chhath puja aim at preparing the body and the mind of the devotee for the process of cosmic solar energy infusion.

The significance of worshiping the Sun God is that during the periods of sunrise and sunset, human beings can obtain optimum energy from the sun and safely harness it. Worshiping the Sun in Kartik month allows absorption of Vitamin D from UVB rays which are predominant at sunset and sunrise.

Standing in the water of the Ganges allows the energy absorbed from the Sun to move along the spine, cleansing the human body.

Also read: Travelling to Bihar for Chhath Puja? This special train has 634 seats available

Chhath Puja hails back to the time of the Mahabharata

It is believed that Surya Putra Karna was the first to start this puja. It is said that Karna had gained supreme powers by performing Chhath rituals. This had made Karna grow into a powerful and valiant warrior.

Another character from Mahabharata, Draupadi too was an ardent devotee of Lord Surya. Due to her devotion toward Surya, she was gifted with the unique power to cure even the most deadly diseases.

The only Vedic festival celebrated in India

Chhath Puja is one of the most ancient Hindu festivals ever surviving on earth. This puja first finds mention in the Rig Veda which contains hymns worshiping the Sun God and describes similar rituals.

Egyptians too follow the same practice

The tradition of worshiping Sun God as in Chhath, was also prevalent in the ancient Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations of the world. It is also celebrated in countries like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago etc. as a part of their own traditions and customs.

Also read: Chhath Puja: Vendors doing brisk business as mango wood, bamboo baskets in high demand

Related