Chaiti Chhath Festival Celebrated Across Mithila Region with Evening Argh to the Setting Sun

Mahottari. The great festival of faith and Sun worship, Chaiti Chhath, is being celebrated today evening across the Mithila region, offering 'Argh' (offering) to the setting sun.

Today, the main day of the four-day Chaiti Chhath festival, which began with religious rituals on Chaturthi Tithi last Sunday in the Mithila regions of Nepal and India, involves devotees entering various water bodies in the evening of Shashthi Tithi to offer Argh to the setting sun, marking the celebration of Chaiti Chhath.

On the Shashthi Tithi of the festival today evening, devotees will prepare various sweet delicacies like Thukwa, Bhuswa, Khajuriya, Perukiya, and other cooked items from wheat and rice ground in mortars, grinding stones, or 'Dhiniki', along with various fruits and radish, carrot, turmeric rhizome, pomelo, citron, coconut, orange, and banana. They will carry these offerings along with ritual items like 'Nanglo', 'Koniya', 'Sarwa', 'Dhakan', clay elephants, and large 'Dhakki' to the designated Chhath Ghat near the water body, while all family members sing devotional and folk songs.

This evening on Shashthi Tithi, devotees will enter the water for the evening Argh and worship the setting sun until it disappears, offering all types of Argh materials sequentially to the setting sun while holding Akshata flowers and applying flour and vermilion to both palms.

The Chaiti Chhath festival, celebrated with various rituals over four days, began on Sunday in the Terai, Madhes, and the Mithilanchal region of Bihar, India. On the second day, Monday, devotees observed 'Kharna' by worshipping their ancestral deities and inviting the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya for the Chaiti Chhath Puja. Today, on Shashthi Tithi, the main puja of Chaiti Chhath is being celebrated by offering Argh to the setting sun.

Chaiti Chhath is being celebrated with religious rituals in ponds, tanks, and along the banks of rivers like Bighi, Rato Marha, Janghha, Ankusi, and canals flowing through Jaleshwor, Matihani, Gaushala, Bardibas, Aurahi, Manrasiswa, Loharpatti, Ramgopalpur, Balwa, and Bhangaha municipalities, as well as Pipra, Samsi, Ekadara, Sonama, and Mahottari rural municipalities, along with the district headquarters.

Pandit Anil Pathak of Jaleshwor-8 stated that the specialty of this festival is to increase human interest in truth and non-violence and inspire sympathy towards all living beings. According to Kameshwor Pathak, the priest of Jaleshwarnath Mahadev in Jaleshwor Municipality-1, this is the only festival in the world that worships both the setting and the rising sun, considered a captivating method of Sun worship tradition.

Chaiti Chhath, observed with devotion for family happiness, peace, prosperity, physical well-being, freedom from disease, and fulfillment of various desires, sees a large crowd of devotees at ponds, rivers, tanks, and water bodies. On the first day of this four-day festival, Sunday, devotees performed 'Naha Kha', meaning bathing and eating, to purify themselves.

Similarly, 'Kharna' was observed on the second day, Monday. On Kharna day, devotees observed a full-day fast without food, and at night, they invited the Chhath deity and worshipped their ancestral deities, consuming 'Arwa Arabain' (food without salt) at night. Today, the third day, the entire Mithilanchal region will celebrate Chaiti Chhath with great fervor by offering Argh to the setting sun in the evening.

Devotees will complete the Chaiti Chhath festival tomorrow (Wednesday), the fourth and final day, by reaching the Chhath Ghat early in the morning, entering the water body, and offering Argh to the rising sun, repeating the process from the previous day.

According to the Mahabharata, the Pandavas worshipped the Sun God for the success of their period of anonymity while staying with Draupadi. It is mentioned that the Pandavas stayed in the region of the Kirat King of Mithila at that time. According to popular belief, the tradition of celebrating Chhath began in Mithila 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 deep affection, and the tradition of celebrating the Chhath festival started from that time. The Chhath festival, which has developed as a form of social harmony alongside religious faith, is celebrated by Hindus as well as Muslims.

The number of offerings made during this festival should reach 70, but Pandit Pathak informed that there is a popular belief that the deity is pleased even if only rice from 'Gamhari' paddy is offered if one cannot afford 70 items. The Chhath festival, which was previously celebrated only in the districts of Terai-Madhes, has now started being celebrated in the federal capital Kathmandu and major cities like Pokhara, Narayanghat, Dharan, and Itahari.

Today, on the main day of the Chaiti Chhath festival, a large crowd gathers at Chhath Ghats across the country, including Mithilanchal, even among those who do not observe the festival, with fairs taking place, and devotees traveling from far and wide to witness the puja and receive blessings.