Festivals of India in the month of November

Chhath Puja

 

Evening prayer to the setting Sun

Chhath also called Dala Chhath, is an ancient Hindu festival and only Vedic Festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya, also known as Surya Shashti. The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. The Sun, considered the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath fesival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. In Hinduism, Sun worship is believed to help cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and helps ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and elders.
The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. During this period, the worshiper observes purity, and sleeps on the floor on a single blanket.They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prashad (prayer offerings) and aragh to the setting and rising sun.

Morning prayer to the rising Sun

This is the only holy festival which has no involvement of any pandit (priest). The devotees offer their prayers to the setting sun, and then the rising sun in celebrating its glory as the cycle of birth starts with death. It is seen as the most glorious form of Sun worship. In the evening arghya people express their thanks to Sun God for its work in growing their crops during the preceding year and morning arghya is considered as a request for a bountiful crop, peace and prosperity in the year to come.
 

The prasad offerings include sweets, Kheer, Thekua (a wheat based cake) and fruit offered in small bamboo soop winnows. The food is strictly vegetarian and it is cooked without salt, onions or garlic. Emphasis is put on maintaining the purity of the food. Offerings are preferably cooked on earthen Chulha (oven). Some traditions are exercised with little difference varying from region to region and across the families with basic similarity.

 

Thekua

Kheer

Chhath is an important festival celebrated in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and many other parts of India in which setting Sun (dawn) is worshiped. Although Bihar celebrates Chhath most elaborately it is also followed in some parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Assam and also Mauritius, mainly among the Bhojpuri and Maithali speaking people. Chhath is also important for Nepalese worshipers of god as well as in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The best place to witness Chhath would be around Northern Bihar where it is celebrated in great grandeur. Chhath is a Hindu festival but many Muslim families also participate in this holy festival.