What makes this festival so dear to the Purvanchali heart

Why in News ?

• Context: The 2025 Chhath Puja concluded this Tuesday with millions of devotees offering arghya (water offerings) to the rising sun, marking the end of a four-day ritual dedicated to Surya (Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya.
• The festival, traditionally prominent in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, is now celebrated widely across urban India, reflecting the migration and cultural integration of the Purvanchali community.

Relevance:

• GS-1 (Indian Culture): Vedic origins, rituals, and symbolism of solar worship traditions.
• GS-1 (Society): Purvanchali identity, women-led rituals, and cultural resilience amidst urbanization.
• GS-1 (Diversity of India): Integration of regional festivals into urban India — migration-driven cultural synthesis.

Basics: What is Chhath Puja

• Type of Festival: A Vedic Sun-worship festival emphasizing purity, austerity, and ecological reverence.
• Duration: Four days — generally in the month of Kartik (October–November), six days after Diwali.
• Deities Worshipped:
  • Surya (Sun God) – for sustaining life and granting energy.
  • Chhathi Maiya (Usha or Pratyusha) – personification of the first and last light of the day (dawn and dusk).

Spiritual and Cultural Significance

• Symbolizes gratitude to nature and reverence to cosmic energy (Surya) for sustaining life.
• Represents purity, discipline, and community harmony, cutting across caste and class lines.
• Embodies the Purvanchali cultural identity and emotional connection to the homeland.
• Conveys a spiritual philosophy: “What sets, rises again”, symbolizing hope, resilience, and renewal.

Historical Origins

• Vedic Roots: References found in Rig Veda hymns to Surya and Ushas.
• Epic Links:
  • In Ramayana – Lord Rama and Sita are said to have observed the ritual post-return to Ayodhya.
  • In Mahabharata – Kunti (mother of the Pandavas) is believed to have performed Chhath for divine blessing.
• The practice possibly evolved as a folk-Vedic synthesis, emphasizing solar worship and ascetic discipline.

The Four Days of Rituals

1. Nahay Khay:
   1. Devotees bathe in holy rivers (like Ganga) and eat a single vegetarian meal prepared in sanctity.
   2. Marks purification and preparation.
2. Kharna (Second Day):
   1. Day-long fast without water; concludes after sunset with gud-chawal kheer (sweet porridge) as prasad.
   2. Represents self-control and humility.
3. Sandhya Arghya (Third Day):
   1. Devotees offer arghya to the setting sun, symbolizing gratitude for life’s completeness.
   2. Families gather at riverbanks with bamboo baskets (soop) carrying fruits and thekua (traditional sweets).
4. Usha Arghya (Fourth Day):
   1. Offerings made to the rising sun at dawn.
   2. Fasting concludes with distribution of prasad and blessings from elders.

How it is Celebrated ?

• Takes place near riverbanks, lakes, or ponds where devotees perform rituals at sunrise and sunset.
• Songs dedicated to Surya and Chhathi Maiya are sung throughout the festival.
• Entire families participate, maintaining complete purity and vegetarianism for four days.
• Major centers: Patna, Varanasi, Gaya, Arrah, and now Delhi, Mumbai, and Noida due to migration.

Sociological Dimension

• Chhath represents Purvanchali identity and solidarity, especially for migrants in metro cities.
• Creates temporary communal harmony spaces — cutting across religion, class, and gender divides.
• Increasingly celebrated as a public cultural festival in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Surat.

Unique Features

• No priestly mediation: Devotees perform rituals themselves, emphasizing direct communion with nature.
• Eco-centric ethos: Use of biodegradable materials — bamboo, earthen lamps, and natural offerings.
• Women-led observance: Central role of women (called Parvaitin) symbolizes matriarchal devotion and sacrifice.
• Dual worship of sunrise and sunset: Represents cyclic continuity of life and acknowledgment of both creation and dissolution.

Modern Transformations

• Migration has turned Chhath into a pan-Indian urban festival, with ghats in Delhi and Mumbai specially arranged for it.
• Growing media coverage and state support (Delhi, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand governments declare public holidays or ghat facilities).
• Emergence of eco-Chhath initiatives — discouraging plastic and promoting clean riverbanks.

Symbolism and Deeper Meaning

• Philosophical Core: Acknowledges dependence of human life on solar energy and nature’s rhythms.
• Moral Discipline: Fasting, purity, and self-restraint reflect inner purification.
• Cultural Resilience: Despite urbanization, the festival preserves Purvanchal’s folk traditions and oral songs.

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