Chhath festival will be celebrated from November 17 to November 20.
According to popular beliefs, the Chhath Puja tradition started during the Mahabharata period after Suryaputra Karna started worshipping the Sun.
Chhath Puja is a Hindu festival that celeberates the Sun God, Surya. On this day, people pray to the Sun God for prosperity in their lives. They also thank the Lord for his omnipresent light and for bestowing the possibility of life on Earth. Chhath is majorly celebrated in Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Nepal and similar diaspora worldwide.
Chhath Puja lasts for four days. This year it will be celebrated from November 17 to November 20. The festival has been performed since the Vedic era and many stories regarding its origin have been shared from time to time. An astrologer from Patna, Dr Shripati Tripathi, shared some of the origin stories of Chhath Puja while interacting with Local18.
He said that according to popular beliefs, the Chhathpuja tradition originated during the Mahabharata period after Suryaputra Karna started worshipping the Sun. Karna was a great devotee of Lord Surya. He used to stand in the water for hours and offer prayers to the Sun God Surya in the morning. Karna became a great warrior and hence the tradition of offering water to the Sun while standing in the water came into prevalence.
Dr Tripathi also shared another story which revolves around the Pandavas and Draupadi. The royal family celebrated Chhath to get back their lost honour, wealth and kingdom. After this, they returned to Hastinapur and got back their kingdom after the Kurukshetra war.
Chhath festival also shares its origins in the Ramayana era. According to mythology, when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, he decided to perform Rajasuya Yagya to free himself of the sin of killing Ravana. The sages in his council ordered him to perform this tradition. During this, Mugdal Rishi purified Mother Sita by sprinkling Ganga water. He also ordered Mata Sita to worship the Sun God on Shukla Paksha Shashthi date of Kartik month. After this, Goddess Sita worshipped the Sun God for six days. Chhath is believed to be celebrated for the first time in Dev city of the old Gaya district in Bihar. It is now situated in Aurangabad.
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