Justice
Palash Biswas
(c/o Mrs Arti Roy , Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-
700110)
You have no to surrender to the Brahmin Purohit. Any
one whether belonging to caste hindu or the
undeclasses consisting of dalits, tribals or backwards
are equal on this occassion to worship the sun God.
Chhath Puja is an Indian thanksgiving festival
dedicated to the Sun God. During the celebrations of
Chhath Puja, people gather on the banks of the River
Ganges to bathe in its sacred water, pray and make
ritual offerings to the Sun God. Chhath Puja is a
highly elaborate festival noted for its impressive
display of colorful costumes, music, singing and
extravagant rituals. There we see no untoward
incident taking place during this worship without any
interference of Brahmins.
As we see that Shiva and Kali never have been the
Vaidiki God and Coddess. but the Aryas led by the
Brahmines declared Lord Shiva, Devadidev and digested
the Shiva followers. Even before some decades only
Kali had been used by the underclasses Chandals, Doms
and Bgdi. But now the Brahminical system declared
Kali an Avtar of Goddess durga, and establishing the
supremacy of Brahminical rituals.
it is rather a very joyous experience to see Chhat
festival uniting all believers belonging to the faith
Hinduism and there seems to be no discrimination.
Religion is a matter of Very personal and spiritual
faith and phenomenon. Chhatpuja is deep rooted in folk
and culture and it sustains the basic concept of
worship rather a dialogue between Bhagwan and Bhakta.
It seems very strange that despite the existence of
Konark sun Temple , we do not see the same Lok Utsav
being celebrated in Orrissa. It further proves the
noninterference of Brhminical supremacy in Chhat puja
at least. It is wonderful.
Thus, Chhatpuja should be recommended to be granted a
national festival to strengthen national integrity
which is quite impoosible to acquire without the
understanding of our cultural roots deep in day today
life of the people.
Chhath Puja takes place, sometime during the months of
October and November, immediately following the
six-day festival of lights known as Diwali. Chhath
Puja lasts for one night and one day.
Chhath Puja is celebrated mainly in the northern
regions of the Indian state of Bihar. The festival
takes place, on the banks of the River Ganges, in
people's homes and at the Sun Temple of Baragaon, two
kilometers outside Nalanda, in Bihar. Chhath Puja is
also celebrated in Varanasi in the state of Uttar
Pradesh.
On the day before the festival of Chhath Puja, it is
customary for participants to gather on the riverbanks
and cleanse themselves, briefly, in the water of the
River Ganges.
After cleansing, a token amount of sacred water is
retained for use as offerings during the festival of
Chhath Puja.
Before Chhath Puja, people fast throughout the day and
into the early evening.
The fast is followed by worship in the home. Festive
fare consisting of freshly harvested rice, puris (a
local bread type delicacy), and fruit such as bananas,
coconuts and grapefruit are then served to the family.
On the second day of Chhath Puja a strict 24-hour fast
is observed; not even water is consumed.
Cooking utensils are purified by the senior women of
the household, as part of the ritual preparation of
offerings for the main part of the celebration of
Chhath Puja.
At sunset, worshippers proceed to the riverbank
bearing their offerings in baskets held high to avoid
the impure touch of human hands.
The participants then pay homage to the Sun God, at
the precise moment of the setting sun.
Further celebrations take place at nightfall under
temporary canopies made from sugar cane stalks where
offerings are laid out as a tribute to the god of
fire.
Well before sunrise, when the sky is pitch black,
worshippers return to the riverbank to pray to the
rising sun; this ritual is considered the focal point
of the ceremony of Chhath Puja.
Following prayers and the purifying bathing ritual,
the fast is ended with the offering, or prasad, to the
Sun God.
Offerings are then shared with families, friends and
fellow worshippers, accompanied by the chanting of the
Rig Veda Gayatri Mantra to the Sun God.
Chath Puja: Useful Terms:
Surya: The sun (the Sun God is worshipped during the
festival of Chhath Puja).
Chhath: In the context of Chhath Puja, Chhath refers
to the number six and the importance of this date on
the Indian festival calendar
Puja: Various interpretations exist of the word
"puja," including worship with offerings, especially
of flowers, and ritual anointment with sandalwood
paste. Puja is the combination of the Sanskrit words
for sin and birth.
Prasad: Ritual offerings.
Puris: This deep-fried bread, made from wheat flour,
is traditionally offered at the festival of Chhath
Puja.
Thekuwa: This is a wheat-based cake served during the
festival of Chhath Puja.
Bihar
Bihar is a state in India and a center for Buddhist
worship. Bihar is famous, worldwide, as the starting
point for the "Buddhist pilgrimage circuit." The name
"Bihar" derives from the word "vihara," meaning
"Buddhist monastery."
Apart from the festival of Chhath Puja, Bihar is also
associated with the lavish celebration of other major
Indian festivals including Diwali, Ramnavami, Dussehra
and Holi.
palashcbiswas,
gostokanan, sodepur, kolkata-700110 phone:033-25659551
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