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 Chhath is one of the most important festivals of India, which typically originates in the state of Bihar. Also known as Dala Chhath festival, it is exclusive to the state of Bihar, Jharkhand and Terai in Nepal. There are other parts of India, which celebrates this festival of Chhath with great devotion and enjoyment. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and some parts of Chhattisgarh celebrate the festival.
Chhath, in Hindi, means the number 6 and as such, the celebration of this festival starts on the 6th day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. It is during the month of months of October-November that Chhath festival is celebrated. The festival of Chhath takes place a week after Diwali. It is a very auspicious occasion for all the people who are mostly North Bihari. But Chhath in Bihar is a great fanfare.
Chhath is dedicated to the Sun God. This sacred occasion continues for 4 long days and people enjoy this day to the fullest. It is because of the worship of the Sun God, this festival is also known as SuryaShashti. People observe this festival to offer thanks to Sun for helping us to live on this earth and also for offering bounties of life on earth.
It is a common belief that during the festival of Chhath, all the wishes and desires of the devotees come true. They observe the day with great sanctity and consider the festival as one of the most holy festivals of the Hindus. They expect to get peace by celebrating this auspicious festival. During this festival, the roads remain safe and people keep away from any illegal activity. People dread doing any misdeeds during this festival.
The 4 days of celebration are devoted to different rituals and observations. On the first day devotees go to holy Ganges to take dip and to offer things to the river. On the second day, devotees fast for the whole day, which comes to an end during the evening. Worship at home is done and offerings like porridge of rice, puris and bananas are distributed among the family members. The thirds day and fourth day is also spend in worshipping the sun god and providing offerings to the God.
People wear colorful clothes of this day and sing devotional songs loudly in praise of the Sun God. People gather at the banks of the Ganges and decorate the streets and homes with colorful festoons, ribbons, and banners. People spend the day in merry making and enjoyment. People eat vegetarian food strictly and enjoy the festival to the fullest forgetting about the class and economic barriers.
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