Page 50 - Cornice_Grade 5

Chhath

Puja

Chhath Puja is an Ancient Hindu
festival particularly celebrated in

Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal,
Jharkhand, Madhesh and Lumbini.

In Chhath Puja we worship Lord
Surya and his sister Chhathi Maiya,

6th form of Devi Prakriti as the
goddess of the festival.

We worship these deities to show gratitude for the sun bestowing life on Earth.

The festival is celebrated 6 days after Tihar on the 6th day of the lunar month of
Kartik (October- November.) The main worshippers, called Parvaitin are usually

women, though this festival is not gender specific. The rituals are observed over 4 days.
Once a family member starts doing the puja, they must perform it every year and pass it

on to the following generation. The festival is skipped only if there is a
death in the family that year. The rituals done include, holy bathing, fasting, and offer-

ing prasad and arghya. The prasad offerings include Thekua, Khajuria, Tikri, Kasar and

fruits (mainly seasonal fruits.) The food is strictly vegetarian and is
cooked without onion, garlic and salt.

The benefit of Chhath Puja is
that it is one of the most eco-friendly

festival
Hindus can celebrate. In conclusion,

Chhath Puja is an eco-friendly
important festival in which we worship

the sun.

- Radhika Agrawal