Chhath Puja is a festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev)

Chhath Puja Celebrated on the sixth day after Diwali. Chhath is an ancient festival dedicated to the Sun God.The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya (The Sun God) for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. ... The Sun, considered as the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress.Chhath Puja also called ' Dala Chhat '.

It is also celebrated in the summer (March–April), on Chaitra Shashthi, some days after Holi; this event is called Chaiti Chhath. The former is more popular because winter is the usual festive season in Nepal and also in Bihar of North India. 

 

The festival is mainly celebrated in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and UP. it is also more prevalent in areas where migrants from those areas have a presence. Chhath is also popular in a lot of countries like, Mauritius, Fiji, Caribbean, Malaysia, U.k., U.S., etc....

It is believed that the rituals also find reference in the Sanskrit epic poem Mahābhārata in which Draupadi is depicted as observing similar rites.

 

Chhath puja is performed on the sixth day of the month of Kartika in the Vikram Samvat (October or November). The Goddess who is worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhathi Maiya. Chhathi Maiya is known as Usha in the Vedas. This is the only parva which signifies rising sun as well as setting sun both.

The first day of Chhath Puja, the house and surroundings are scrupulously cleaned. The ladies observing the Vrata called vratin allow themselves only one meal on this day.

On this day devotees eats rice, gram pulses, and pumpkin vegetables sans onion and garlic. After eating the food sometime mid-noon, the Parvatin (devotee) starts the waterless-fast which is broken only the next day evening while observing 'Kharna' the second day of Chhath Puja. During this period of three nights and four days, the worshiper observes purity and sleeps on the floor. Since it falls in winter, a bed on rice straws is made by putting a blanket on it.

On the second day of Chhath Puja, the day before Chhath, the Vratins observe a fast for the whole day, which ends in the evening a little after sunset. The Vratins go on a fast without water for 36 hours after 2nd day evening prashad (kheer)..

Sandhya Arghya (evening offerings).
It is during this phase of Chhath Puja that the devotees offer prayers to the just setting sun. The occasion is almost a carnival. Besides the Vratins, there are friends and family, and numerous participants and onlookers, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshipper. The folk songs are sung on the evening of Chhath.

On the final day of Chhath Puja, the devotees, along with family and friends, go to the riverbank before sunrise, in order to make the offerings (Arghya) to the rising sun.

The festival ends with the breaking of the fast by the Vratins. Friends, Relatives visit the houses of the devotees to receive the prashad.

The main worshipers are usually women. However, a large number of men also observe this festival. The worshippers pray for the well-being of their family, and for the prosperity of their offsprings.

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