Hello Steem / Steemians,

Coming back from a hiatious morning. Today, I am returning from just concluded "Chath Puja". A festival to worship "Lord Sun" India is land of festival, and "Chath Puja" holds a special significance among people of eastern India especially Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

This festival is celebrated for 4 days and the main worshipper keeps a fasting for for more 36 hrs. This means complete abstaining from water and food for approx 40 hrs. Such is the faith in this festival which is celebrated with pious and pure minds and heart. Even though there is few worshipper in a home still those people who unable to keep fast or complete the rituals in correct way keep their offering through the main worshipper.

The correct way to worship this festival is to offer "Argh" to sun by standing in still water. So people prefer any local river or ponds to celebrate the festival. The custom to offer Argh is happens for 2 days i.e on first day we offer the Argh to the sun set means yesterday and then again today early morning when sun rises.

Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun and his Wife Usha/Shashti devi/ Chhathi Maiya/Katyayani form of Durga/Devasena in order to thank them for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes.

The worshiper is called "chati" it can be a women or men. They had home cooked Kheer (Indian pice made up of Rice and Milk) on day before yesterday and since then they remain abstain from eating till today morning. Last evening they went to water to offer Argh to the dipping Sun.

There were many offering made which were arranged in typical old bamboo basket made by hand. The basket usually contains fruits and home made Thekua All the family who unable to perform the ritual may arrange their offering to the main worshipper and all of them were arranged on the banks of river or pond.

The craze is such that every men and women take showers and visit the nearby river/pond areas to pray to Lord Sun. One in the evening and then to the rising sun next day. So went their yesterday evening and then today early wee hours.

I have seen this festival since many years, and easily could say the popularity of this festival have suddenly increased over the years. The festival which is usually very famous among the villages have now taken the city as well. Many people take part in this festival quite enthusiastically.

The rush the craze have increased and people started to take much devotion on this festival.

Chatth Puja is one of the cleanest festival ever celebrated in India. There is lot of purity and standard to be maintained. Even the cookware that were used to make Kheer or Thekua used to be made on brass utensils which were especially kept only for this festival. Even the worshipper use a different stove for cooking anything related to the festival.
Too many rituals and customs followed on this festival and every memeber always make sure to make their contribution. Everything needs to be very clean and pure.

This festival shows the colourful aspect of India. So much rush and everyone make special shopping for the festival as they need to wear clean and new cloth.

The festival comes to an end today , Once Sun rises, and we we offer prayers, through Argh and through devotion to Lord sun, which considered to be the Lord of making lives possible on earth.