Source::RSS
RSS
MAHOTTARI
After the Tihar or Dipawali festival, Maithil is now busy preparing for the Lok Aastha festival Chhath. After the completion of Dipawali (Yamapanchak) on the day of Kattik Shukla Dwitiya along with the festival of 'Bharadvitiya' (also known as Bhaiyaduj, Bhratrudvitiya), the people of Maithil (Mithila) are now busy preparing for the Chhath to be celebrated with reverence and devotion.
The Chhath festival, which will be celebrated in different ways for four days from Kartik Shukla Chaturthi (fourth) to Saptami, will start tomorrow, Wednesday. In this festival the sun god is worshiped, on the first day, i.e. on the fourth day. It is called 'Nahay-Khay' in Mithila.
Similarly, on the second day of Panchami Tithi, Devotee fasts all day and at night offers only a handful of Arwa rice cooked with sugar also called porridge to Ishtadev. This method of the second day is called 'Kharna' in Mithila. On the main day of the festival, on the day of Shashti (Shashti), Devotee fasts and bathes in the ghat built in the holy reservoir in the evening. In this process, Thakuwa, Bhusuwa (Kasar), other confectionery, banana, curd and other ingredients are offered to the sun. This method is called 'Sajuka Arakh'. On the night of Shashti, it is customary to spend the night at the ghat, worshiping Suryadev and Chahtimata (wife of Suryadev). However, this time, due to Covid-19 infection, most of the people are preparing to perform the fasting method in the backyard of their respective houses.
On the last day of the festival, that is, on the seventh day, Bartalu dips into the water from dawn and sings, calling on the sun god to appear soon. As soon as the sun appears on the horizon, the material shown on the previous evening is shown to the rising sun and after giving the second arghya, the festival is duly concluded. In Mithila, the method of the last day is called 'Bhorka Arakh' or 'Paran'.
As soon as the festival is over, Devotee returns home (going to the ghat) and donates food to the Brahmins, the poor and the hopeful. With this, the process of eating and feeding the offerings of Chhath begins. In Mithila, the process of delivering Chhath offerings to friends, daughters and relatives lasts for 10-15 days.
After the festival starts on Wednesday, the bustle in all parts of Mithila has increased since one morning today. Such agricultural products has found a good market today as sugarcane lankra, jamir and ginger plants including gumbo are used in the fasting method during the festival.
The main offerings offered to Suryadev and Chatidevi in the festival are Thakuwa (a confectionery made from wheat flour) and Bhusuwa (Kasar) flour. The tradition of using bamboo choyas and pure new earthenware utensils to keep offerings at the festival seems to have frozen the market everywhere.
There is a belief in Maithil that by fasting Chhathparva (fasting) one can get the desired fruit, children can be happy and one cannot get sick. It is believed that skin disease is cured by worshiping the sun. In the last few decades, the festival has developed into a common festival of Mithila as not only the Hindus of hilly origin but also the caste communities of different religions and cultures have started celebrating the festival as a vow. Dr. Rajendra Bimal, a well-known writer of Mithila region, says that Chhath festival has become a festival of folk faith as all castes, religions, sects and individuals are celebrate it with devotion.
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