Chhath Puja

This festival(Chhat parva) is celebrated after Dipawali. The great festival of the Mithilanchal region, Chhath, bears a great significance on increasing the faith of the mankind on truth and non-violence as well as sympathy to all the living beings. This is the festival in which the sun is worshipped when it rises and sets. It is especially significant for married women. They observe a two-day fast and offer prayers while keeping almost three-quarters of their body immersed in water for two hours.

This festival is observed for 4 days. The first day falls on Kartik Chaturthi Tithi and the main day falls on Kartik Shukla Sasthi, its called Arba Arbain or Nahan Khan. The devotees take fast by discarding meat, garlic and onion after taking a bath on nearby ponds or lakes. The second day is Kharana meaning the reduction of sin. This day, devotees clean their house and for the whole day they do not take any food. At night they offer special kind of Chappati (roti) and pudding to moon and then they also eat those dishes as Prasad. On the third day they prepare sweet dishes from rice and flour, minced in Dhikki and Jatoo (traditional grain grinder made from wood). They also include other fruits like bananas, coconut, grapefruits, sugarcane, grains of lentils, raw ginger plants and other special dishes of rice porridge, deep fried puffs of wheat flour (purees) etc., these offerings are placed in semicircular pans made of bamboo sticks or some other artistic clay pots. The virtuous devotees and their offerings are not to be touched by anyone, not even birds or any animal for the fear of getting impure during the fasting. At the evening the devotees take their way to the nearest ponds and rivers. Upon reaching the spot, the female members make the artistic drawings known as Aripan Chitra and place their offerings. They then face towards the setting sun, fold their hands, offer pure water along with other religious offerings.  During the rituals especially the womenfolk sing folk songs about the greatness of the Chhath and prayers for the happiness of the family. Women keep awake throughout the night, lighting the lamps, singing songs.On the third day, the devotees go to the rivers and ponds singing folk and devotional songs. The fourth day is called Paran or Parwan. There is a tradition of listening to Surya Puran after the conclusion of offering curd, the devotees listen to the stories of the Chhath fasting. People of Mithila region, also called this festival Surya Puja, which is known as God of power, brilliant light and life. People thank the Sun, offers gifts by performing puja.