Chhath
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chhath or Dala Chhath is a Hindu festival, which is unique to Bihar state, India and Terai of Nepal. The word “chhath” denotes the number 6 in Hindi and the festival begins on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of “kartik”, which corresponds to months of October-November in the Gregorian calendar. The festival of Chhath begins a week after Diwali. Chhath is the holiest Hindu festival of Bihar and extends to four days.
Chhath is a festival dedicated to the Sun God. It is considered to be a means to thank the Sun for bestowing the bounties of life in earth, as also for fulfilling particular wishes. Worship of the Sun has been practiced in different parts of India and the world from time immemorial. Worship of sun has been described in the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu scriptures, and hymns praying to the sun in the Vedas are found. In the ancient epic, the Mahabharata, references to worshipping of the sun by Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, are found. It was believed that worshipping of the sun would help cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and also ensure longevity and prosperity of the family members.
