Chhath Puja 2017: Chhath Puja, also known as Pratihar, Surya Shashti, Chhathi and Dala Chhath, is a widely celebrated festival in India and Nepal. It is a Hindu festival dedicated to Sun god – Surya and is observed for a period of four days. Surya, the god of energy and of life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath Puja to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. This year, the holy festival has fallen on October 26. The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. The third day, known as Chhath, is considered the main day of the festival. People include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water, standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prashad and arghya to the setting and rising sun. People in the regions of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh offer their prayers and seek blessings from the Sun god Surya and his wife Usha.
Day one:
The first day of pooja is known as ‘Nahay Khay’. On this day, people visit the holy water bodies and take a dip, specially river Ganga. Women observe fast and eat only a single meal.
Day two:
Known as Lohanda, on the day two of the festival, fasting without water is observed from sunrise to sunset and is only broken after offering food to the Sun.
Day three:
The third day, known as Chhath, is considered the main day of the festival and a fast without water is observed. Moreover, the fasting continues throughout the night and on the fourth day, Usha the 36 long hours fast is broken.
Day four:
On the fourth day marks the end of the festival and offering are make to the rising sun.
As per Drikpanchang, muhurat timings for Chhatt Pooja are as follows:
Sunrise on Chhath Puja Day = 06:28
Sunset on Chhath Puja Day = 17:40
Shashthi Tithi Begins = 09:37 on 25/Oct/2017
Shashthi Tithi Ends = 12:15 on 26/Oct/2017
Chhath Puja, also known as Pratihar, Surya Shashti, Chhathi and Dala Chhath, is a widely celebrated festival in India and Nepal. (IE Photo)
