Chhath Puja, the great festival of folk faith, has started in Varanasi from Friday, 13th November with Nahay-Khay. Preparations for puja are going on at the ghats of river Ganga and Varuna. Arghya will be offered to the setting sun on 15th November and the rising sun on 16th November.
Varanasi: The splendor of Chhath festival is beginning to be seen in Kashi. This four-day long festival started with Nahay-Khay on Friday. Songs of Chhathi Maiya are being heard in the houses, while devotees are busy preparing the place for worship on the banks of river Ganga and Varuna. Fasting women and men will worship the Sun God with wishes for the well-being of the family, long life of children and happiness and prosperity.
Chhath Puja started with Nahay-Khay
Dala Chhath started in Kashi on Friday on Kartik Shukla Chaturthi. Preparations for puja continued in the fasting families since morning. After cleaning the houses, the devotees took bath and collected the necessary items for the puja.
On the day of Nahay-Khay, fasting people eat satvik food. On this occasion, gourd vegetable, gram dal, rice and roti are prepared in homes. Special care is taken of cleanliness and purity while preparing food. Many families also have a tradition of using rock salt and ghee.
In Chhath Puja, separate utensils and stove are used to make Prasad. The women of the family are collecting ingredients for thekua, khaja, sweet puri and other dishes. These will be used in future puja rituals.
Altars being built on Ganga ghats, decoration work in progress
Preparations for the great festival of Chhath have started on the Ganga ghats of Varanasi, the banks of Varuna river and the ponds of the city. Devotees are marking the place of worship for their families and making mud altars.
Altars are being painted at many places. Puja committees are also busy installing bamboo sticks and making arrangements for lighting at the ghats. During Chhath Puja, a large number of devotees reach the ghats with their families.
Meanwhile, the arbitrariness of some people regarding keeping the place of worship safe at the ghats has also come to light. At some places on the banks of Ganga and Varuna, people have written names like District Judge, DM Office, UP Police and Police Line to mark their place.
Occupying space on public ghats like this can cause trouble to other devotees. There is a possibility of crowding at the ghats especially during the evening and morning Arghya.
Kharna on 14th November, water fast will start after this
The second day of Chhath Puja will be celebrated as Kharna or Lohanda on Saturday, November 14. On this day, devotees keep fast throughout the day and worship Sun God in the evening.
Kheer made of jaggery and rice has special significance in Kharna. In many homes, roti prasad is also made along with it. After the evening puja, the devotees consume Prasad and it is also distributed among the family members.
After consuming the Prasad of Kharna, a waterless fast of about 36 hours begins. During this time, the devotees worship Sun God and Chhathi Maiya without consuming food or water.
This fast is considered very difficult. Therefore, people fasting for a long time should also take care of their health condition.
The first Arghya will be offered to the setting sun on 15th November.
The main ritual of Chhath Puja will take place on Sunday, November 15. On this day, members of the Vrati family will decorate thekua, coconut, banana, sugarcane, seasonal fruits and other puja materials in a bamboo basket and soup.
In the evening the devotees will reach the Ganga ghats, ponds and ponds. The fasting people will stand in water and offer Arghya to the setting sun.
This tradition of Chhath Puja is considered special, because the setting sun is also worshiped in it. Along with expressing gratitude to the Sun God, prayers are offered for the happiness and prosperity of the family.
This ritual, which takes place on the banks of Ganga in Kashi, attracts a large number of devotees every year.
It will conclude by offering prayers to the rising sun on 16th November.
The last day of Chhath Mahaparva will be on Monday, 16 November. The devotees will reach the ghats before sunrise and wait for the first rays of the sun to appear.
After this, second Arghya will be offered to the rising sun. After the puja is over, the devotees will break their fast by taking Prasad. This is called Parana.
The entire family participates in this great festival which lasts for four days. From preparing the puja material to making arrangements at the ghats, the family members together fulfill the responsibility.
Devotees reaching the ghats during Chhath Puja in Varanasi need to be careful of deep river water and crowded places.