Chaiti Chhath Festival Begins Across Mithilanchal Region of Nepal and India

Mahottari. The Chaiti Chhath festival has officially commenced today across the entire Mithilanchal region of Nepal and India.

The four-day Chaiti Chhath festival, observed with various rituals, has begun today with religious rites across the Terai regions including Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, and the entire Mithilanchal. Chaiti Chhath is being celebrated with great fervor at various ponds, tanks, and along the banks of the famous rivers like Bighi, Rato Marha, Jangha, Ankusi, and canals in Jaleshwar, Matiyani, Suga, Gaushala, Pipra, Samsi, Bardibas, and other urban and rural areas of Mahottari.

Kameshwar Pathak, the priest of Baba Jaleshwarnath Mahadev in Jaleshwar Municipality-1, stated that the specialty of this festival is to increase human interest in truth and non-violence and to inspire sympathy towards all living beings. According to Pandit Pathak, this is the only festival in the world that worships both the setting and the rising sun, considered a captivating method of Sun worship. Devotees throng ponds, rivers, tanks, and reservoirs with devotion during the Chaiti Chhath festival, which is observed with the objective of seeking family happiness, peace, prosperity, physical well-being, freedom from disease, and fulfillment of various desires.

On the first day of the four-day Chaiti Chhath (today, Sunday), the fasting devotees will perform 'Naha Kha,' meaning bathing and eating, to purify their bodies. The second day of the festival (tomorrow, Monday) will be observed as Kharna. On Kharna day, the fasting devotees will observe a complete fast without food all day, and at night, they will invite the Chhath deity and worship the Kuldevta (family deity), followed by eating 'Arwa Arwain' (food without salt) at night.

Furthermore, on the day of Shashthi (Tuesday) evening, after grinding wheat and rice in a mortar, pestle, or Dheki, various sweet delicacies made from the resulting flour, such as Thukwa, Bhuswa, Khajuriya, Perukiya, along with various fruits and radish, carrot, turmeric root, pomelo, lime, coconut, orange, banana, and carrying them in a bamboo tray (Nanglo), Koniya, Sarwa, Dhakan, and a clay elephant on a large tray, all family members will proceed to the designated Chhath Ghat near the water body, singing various devotional and folk songs.

On Shashthi (Monday), for the evening Arghya, devotees will enter the water and worship the setting sun until it sets, offering Arghya to the setting sun sequentially with ritual materials, having applied flour paste and vermilion on both palms along with Akshata (unbroken rice) and flowers. The next day, Wednesday, they will return to the Chhath Ghat early in the morning, enter the water, repeat the previous day's rituals, and offer Arghya to the rising sun, thus concluding the Chaiti Chhath festival.

According to the Mahabharata, the Pandavas, along with Draupadi, worshipped the Sun God for the success of their period of anonymity (Agyatwas). It is mentioned that during that time, the Pandavas stayed in the region of a Kirat king in Mithila. According to popular belief, the tradition of observing Chhath began from that time. According to the Surya Purana, the first person to observe the Chhath fast was the wife Anusuya. As a result, she attained eternal marital bliss and love, and the tradition of observing Chhath started from that time.

In addition to religious faith, the Chhath festival, which has also developed as a symbol of social harmony, is observed by Hindus as well as Muslims. The number of offerings made during this festival must reach 70. However, it is a popular belief that if one cannot afford to offer 70 items, offering only rice made from Ganhari paddy will please the deity.