About Chhath Puja
Every year on the sixth day in the month of Kartik as per the traditional Hindu calendar, the festival of Chhath Puja is observed.
Right after the Diwali celebrations conclude, northern India prepares itself for the Chhath Puja, also known as the Chhath Parva, which is observed to pay tribute to the Sun God, known as Surya Shashti, and at times is also referred to as DalaChhath.
The puja also observes worshipping his wife, Usha, commonly known as ChhathMaiya. The rituals involve thanking the Sun God and seeking his blessings, protection, happiness, and good health.
The parv of Chhath this year will mainly begin from the 24th of October, which is a Tuesday, and will go on till Friday, 27th of October, however, the main Chhath Puja will take place on the 26th of October 2017.
On October 25, the Shashti tithi will begin right from 9.37 a.m. and it will end at around 12.15 p.m. on the 26th of October. On 26th, that is the day of the main puja, the sun is expected to rise at 6.41 a.m. and people can observe the sunset at around 6.05 p.m.
The mention of Chhath Puja can be seen in both of the biggest Indian epics: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In the latter, it is believed that Draupadi was advised by the noble sage Dhaumya to perform Chhath Puja and so she did, with the five Pandavas.
It is said that all her problems began to fade away as soon as she performed the puja, and it also helped the five pandavas to win back their lost kingdom of Hastinapur. In Ramayana, Chhath Puja is mentioned in the context that while returning with Lord Ram to Ayodhya, Goddess Sita had observed a fast for Chhath Puja.
The festival of Chhath Puja is mainly celebrated in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, however, with many followers migrating to New Delhi, it has also become a big festival in the capital city of India.