As Bengal Braces for Chhath Puja

Kolkata is a sweet amalgamation of people from many states and their varying cultures. All festivals are celebrated here with great enthusiasm and mouth-watering food. If there are Roll and Phuchka for Durga Ashtami, there’s Biryani and Haleem for Ramadan. Similarly, if there are Pulipitha and Payesh for Posh Sankranti, then it’s Gujiya for Chhath Puja. With Chhath Puja around the corner, let’s head in to know more about this cultural extravaganza and how you can treat yourself to some mouth melting gujiya, thekua, worship, and prayers!

The CHHATH Festival

The Chhath festival is originally celebrated in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and also the Madhesh region in Nepal. But the core meaning of this festival makes it a reason for celebration all across. This beautiful festival is a form of thanksgiving observed in the honor of Sun God and Shashti Devi. People observing fast and performing puja pray to Chhathimaiya and Sun God for bestowing us with the bounties of Life.

Argha- To Appease Sun God

Chhath Puja fast is observed for 4 days and on the last day, the devotee offers Argha to the Sun God by standing in a water body. This is why all devotees observing fast, flock to nearby river banks, lakes, or Ganga ghat. Because, this is the festival of offering prayers, exquisite sweet preparations are prepared by devotees to offer to God. Kheer, fruits, and vegetables like radish, banana all go to the offering thali of the Puja. Along with these go preparations like gujiya, thekua, and prasad prepared in an earthen pot.

At sunset all devotees, mostly women, after fasting for 36 hours, go to the riverbank to take bath. This is followed by offering argha and other prasad. The Puja Mahurat varies as per the sunset and auspicious time. This year the sunrise on Chhath Puja is at 5:48 am and the sunset timing is 5: 47 pm. After the puja is done, devotees savor the offerings prepared throughout the day with their friends and family.

2020 Pandemic Puja

Since, mass gatherings are dangerous this year, with corona cases surging every day by thousands, governments of various states have released a strict notice against coming together near water bodies to offer prayers. Celebrations and rituals near public lakes and ponds are not allowed for 2020. Given the circumstances, it’s best to offer prayers from home or nearby ponds where the public doesn’t gather in large numbers. A celebration that’s been going on for decades will surely miss its zeal this year because of the COVID outbreak. But we advise you to stay indoors and perform the puja rituals in secluded places if possible. God will understand the plight of its devotees.

We hope to see a new dawn of Happiness! Happy Chhath.