Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) As Chhath Puja begins on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to share songs related to the festival and said he will repost them in the next few days.
The Prime Minister said on social media platform
This year the four-day Chhath Puja celebration will be celebrated from Saturday to October 28. This festival is a revered occasion dedicated to worshiping Sun God and Chhathi Maiya and seeking blessings for prosperity and well-being.
Chhath Puja is one of the most important Hindu festivals, celebrated mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is also celebrated in some parts of Nepal and among Indian communities around the world.
Dedicated to the worship of Sun God and his sister Chhathi Maiya, this festival emphasizes on purity, gratitude and the well-being of one’s family.
Chhath Puja has its roots in the ancient eras of Satyayuga and Dwapara Yuga, making it believed to be one of the oldest known forms of Sun worship. Devotees celebrate the festival with strict discipline, abstaining from food and water for long periods of time to express devotion and seek blessings of prosperity, health and happiness. It is said that worshiping the Sun during Chhath removes negativity from life and brings peace and positivity.
The four-day celebration involves elaborate rituals that symbolize purification, faith, and self-control:
Day 1 – Nahai Khai: The festival begins with devotees taking a holy dip in the river or pond to purify themselves. They bring vegetables and pulses and prepare the first prasad with emphasis on cleanliness and purity.
Day 2 – Kharna: On this day, devotees observe a strict fast from sunrise to sunset. They prepare prasad of jaggery, rice and wheat and break their fast after offering the prasad to the deity in the evening. Prasad is shared with family, friends and neighbors to promote unity and community spirit.
Day 3 – Evening Arghya: Devotees gather near water bodies in the evening to offer ‘Arghya’ (prayers and offerings) to the setting sun. They offer fruits, sugarcane and prasad to express gratitude to the Sun God for sustaining life on earth.
Day 4 – Usha Arghya: The last day is dedicated to offering Arghya to the rising sun. Devotees break their fast after offering Prasad, a symbol of renewal and spiritual rebirth. Symbolizing the end of the ritual, Prasad is distributed among the family and community members.
Chhath Puja is celebrated with simplicity, dedication and purity. The offerings, including fruits, vegetables and sweets, represent the gifts of nature, and the ritual of fasting and prayer reflects the devotees’ desire to purify the body, mind and soul. The primary essence of Chhath Puja is gratitude, as it promotes respect for natural resources and a harmonious relationship between nature and mankind.
–IANS
jk/svn