Why in news?
The Bihar government commissioned the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to prepare a nomination dossier for the Chhath festival to be listed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
What is Chhath?
Chhath is a Vedic festival dedicated to the Sun god (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya (the goddess of the sixth day). It is celebrated mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. The festival takes place twice a year — in the month of Chaitra (March–April) and Kartika (October–November).
Origins and history
References to sun worship appear in the Rig Veda, and legends link Chhath to the warrior Karna from the Mahabharata. The festival emphasises purity, austerity and gratitude to the natural world. Historically, it has been closely associated with agrarian communities who depend on sunlight for crops.
Rituals
- Nahay Khay: Devotees bathe in holy waters and prepare a simple meal.
- Lohanda/Kharna: Observers fast without water during the day and break the fast at night with kheer (sweet rice porridge).
- Sandhya Arghya: In the evening, offerings are made to the setting sun with fruits, Thekua and Kasar (traditional sweets).
- Usha Arghya: At dawn, prayers and offerings are made to the rising sun, after which the fast ends.
Significance
- Ecological consciousness: The festival encourages cleanliness of rivers and ponds and respect for nature.
- Community bonding: Families and neighbourhoods come together to prepare prasad and create temporary ponds.
- Health benefits: The rigorous fasting and sunlight exposure are believed to purify the body.