Chhath puja is performed on Kartika Shukla Shashthi, which is the sixth day of the month of Kartika in the Nepali calendar. The exact date of the festival is decided by Central division of Janakpurdham in Nepal which is applicable all over the world.
It is believed that the Maga Purohits were invited by King Janak of Nepal for their expertise in Sun worshiping. They started the tradition of Chhat Puja for the first time in the world.
It is believed that the ritual of Chhath puja may even predate the ancient Vedas texts, as the Rigveda contains hymns worshiping the Sun god and describes similar rituals. The rituals also find reference in the Sanskrit epic poem Mahābhārata in which Draupadi is depicted as observing similar rites.
In the poem, Draupadi and the Pandavas, rulers of Indraprastha(modern Delhi), performed the Chhath ritual on the advice of noble sage Dhaumya. Through her worship of the Sun God, Draupadi was not only able to solve her immediate problems, but also helped the Pandavas later regain their lost kingdom.
It is also believed that Chhath was started by Karna, the son of Surya (Surya Putra Karna). Surya Putra Karna ruled over the Anga Desh (present day Bhagalpur district of Bihar) during the Mahabharat Age. He was a great warrior and fought against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War.
Its yogic/scientific history dates back to the Vedic times. The rishis of yore used this method to remain without any external intake of food as they were able to obtain energy directly from the sun's rays. This was done through the Chhath method.
The Sun God, Surya, the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath Puja to promote well-being, prosperity and progress.
Chhath Puja is also known as Surya Shashti, Chhathi and Dala Chhath.
Regarding 2014 Chhath Puja :
Sunrise on Chhath Puja Day = 06:30
Sunset on Chhath Puja Day = 17:38
Shashthi Tithi Begins = 00:47 on 29/Oct/2014
Shashthi Tithi Ends = 23:10 on 29/Oct/2014
No comments:
Post a Comment