What's the REAL Importance of Chhath Puja? (Chhath Puja Ka Rahasy Kya Hai -In English) Written By : - Devashish Sarkar

Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the 'Shukla Paksha' of Kartik month, also known as Chhath Parva or Suryashathi Vrat, it is a big festival of faith. Which is started 6 days after Deepawali. According to religious beliefs, 'Shashthi Devi' is called 'Chhath Mata' in the local language, who is the 'Manas daughter' of sages 'Kashyap' and 'Aditi'. He is also known as 'Devasena'.

A mythological story of 'King Priyavrat' is associated with this four-day Chhath festival. 

According to this mythological story, after keeping 'Chhath Vrat' i.e. 'Suryashashthi Vrat' and worshiping 'Sixth Mother' with the law, the 'dead' 'son' of 'King Priyavrat' was 'alive'. Stories related to Chhath Puja are also found in Ramayana and Mahabharata! 

Chhath festival is a four-day festival, it starts from Nahay Khae, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, finally ends after morning Arghyadan to the Sun God! One part was made male and the other nature! After this, nature also divided itself into six parts, one part of which is the sixth Maya. Similarly, Chhathi Maiya is the sixth part of the Mother Goddess, who is called the Goddess of Nature.

It is a major 'Mahaparva' celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, Mumbai and every part of India!! 

Preparations for this four-day Chhath festival begin months in advance and 'Chhath Parva or Chhath Vrat', famous as a festival of worship of this nature, takes great care of 'purity and purity'.

Also, the fast has to remain waterless for 36 hours, that is, it has to be endured without water, so the Chhath fast is also very difficult. It is believed that by observing Chhath fast with complete purity and true heart, the biggest wishes are fulfilled and this Chhath fast is completed only by offering 'Arghya to the Sun' and worshiping 'Chhath Maiya'! 

We get the beginning of Chhath Puja in many mythological stories. According to mythological stories, Mother Sita in Tretayuga and Draupadi in Dwapar Yuga gave Aradhya to Suryadev and Chhath Maiya by fasting on Chhath Puja!

According to a legend, a dead child was born in the house of 'King Priyavrat', whose birth made King Priyavrat very sad because he had no children. He told Maharishi Kashyap his problem. Maharishi Kashyap advised him to perform 'Putreshti Yajna'. During the yagna, kheer made for the sacrifice was given to 'Rani Malini' to eat. The queen became pregnant by eating kheer and gave birth to a son. But unfortunately, the baby was stillborn.

King Priyavrat went to the cremation ground with the body of the son and drowning in grief, he was about to give up his life when Devi Shashthi, the daughter of Brahma, appeared. The goddess said to the king, "I am born from the sixth part of the original nature of creation, hence my name is Shashthi. You worship me and spread it among the people. Do not be discouraged, you obey me duly, you will be fruitful, your wish will surely be fulfilled!"

At the behest of Goddess Shashthi, King Priyavrat fasted on her on the Shashthi date of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month and by the grace of the same Shashthi Devi, he soon got a healthy son. After the birth of a son again, the king told the townspeople the majesty of 'Shashthi Devi', also exposed their story. Since then, the worship of Shashthi Devi and her fast started and this fast of 'Suryashashthi' started to be celebrated as 'Chhath Puja' or 'Sixth Maiya Vrat' (Chhathi Maiya Vrat) ...! 

Mother Sita in 'Tretayug' and Draupadi in Dwapar Yuga also observed this Chhath fast! 

According to the story of Ramayana, when Shri Ramchandra Ji, Mother Sita Ji and Laxman Ji returned to Ayodhya after killing Ravana, then Mother Sita kept this 'Chhath Vrat' or 'Suryashashti Vrat' on the day of Shashthi of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month for the happiness and peace of the family and worshiped 'Shashthi Devi' and 'Suryadev'. 

Apart from this, in the 'Dwapar Yuga', 'Draupadi' also protected her husbands and lost the kingship which she lost in gambling! To get him back, 'Draupadi' kept this 'Chhath fast' of 'Shashthi Mata'. After which his wish was also fulfilled! 

According to the beliefs of ancient times, by observing this fast, every wish of a person is fulfilled and happiness also remains in the family. Apart from this, in the 'Dwapar Yuga', 'Draupadi' also protected her husbands and lost the kingship which she lost in gambling! To get him back, 'Draupadi' kept this 'Chhath fast' of 'Shashthi Mata'. After which his wish was also fulfilled! 

According to the beliefs of ancient times, by observing this fast, every wish of a person is fulfilled and happiness also remains in the family.

But mainly Chhath fast is also observed by mothers to wish for the long life and happy life of their children. 

At the same time, this fast is also considered special for women who wish to have children. In this festival, Sun God and Chhathi Maiya are worshiped. This is the only fast in which instead of the rising sun, the rising sun and the setting sun are worshiped. In this 'Chhath Puja', the 'worship-worship' of 'Chhath Maiya' and 'Suryadev' is of great importance. She is the sister of 'Chhathi Maiya' or 'Shashthi Devi', Sun God. Therefore, to please the sixth Maiya, the Sun God is worshiped.

For this festival, the entire houses are cleaned several days in advance. Satvik food is eaten for all four days. On the day of wearing, there is 'bathing', then going and 'Kharna'. 

On the second day, Sandhya Arghya is offered to Suryadev and

On the fourth day, water is offered to the rising 'Suryadev' or 'Sun God'  in the morning.

Friends, this festival is the oldest festival or fast of India according to religious belief, hopefully, all of you must have known in detail about this mythological 'Suryashashthi Vrat' or 'Chhath Puja' and 'Chhath Vrat'!