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THE COLOURFUL FESTIVAL
Though there are many festivals that are celebrated by the Hindus of
Bihar, but there is one Hindu festival that is uniquely Bihari, and that
is the festival of ‘Chhath’. Observed mostly by the people of
North Bihar, it is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and therefore,
is also known as ‘SuryaShashti’. Chhath is considered to be a
means to thank the Sun for bestowing the bounties of life on earth, as
also for fulfilling particular wishes.
The word ‘Chhath’ denotes the number ‘six’ and thus
the festival begins on the sixth day of the Hindu month of ‘Kartik’
in the Hindu lunar calendar, corresponding to late October and mid
November, depending on the year. It is one of the holiest festivals for
Biharis and extends for four days.
Beliefs :
There is a popular belief that all the desires of the devotees are always
fulfilled during Chhath. Also, an element of fear is present among the
devotees who dread the punishment for any misdeed during Chhath. The city
remains safe and experiences peace during this time when criminals too
prefer to be a part of the good.
The Days Of Festivity :
The festival of Chhath is unique to Bihar and is marked by 4 day long
celebrations and rituals.
Day 1:
To wash away their sins, the devotees take a dip, preferably in the holy
river Ganges and bring the river water to prepare the offerings.
Day 2:
The devotees observe a fast for the whole day, which is broken in late
evening, after performing worship at home. The offerings - typically a
porridge of rice, puris (deep-fried puffs of wheat flour) and bananas -
are distributed among family and visiting friends and relatives.
Day 3:
It is spent preparing the offerings at home during the day. In the evening
the devotees move to a riverbank or a pond. There, the offerings are made
to the setting sun. At nightfall, the devotees along with the family and
friends return home where another colorful celebration takes place. Under
a canopy of sugar cane sticks, clay elephants containing earthen lamps,
and containers full of the offerings, are placed. There the fire god is
worshipped.
Day 4:
On the final day of the festivities of the grand festival, again the
devotees, family and friends, move to the riverbank. Offerings are made to
the rising sun, this time. At the completion of the offerings, there is
great celebration. The devotees break their fast and the rich offerings
are made to all the people around.
The Festivities And The Rituals :
Chhath is a very joyous and colorful festival. All the people dress up in
their best and new clothes are a must. Clothes have to be unstitched and
people sleep on the floor.
Loud and devotional music reverberates in the air, purifying the whole
atmosphere. Folk songs are sung both at home and on the riverbank.
Millions of people throng the banks of river Ganges, In Patna. All the
people are busy merry making.
The streets are kept spotlessly clean by bands of volunteers, who also
decorate all streets leading to the river with colorful festoons, ribbons,
and banners.
The offerings of deep fried and sweet rolls of stone ground wheat flour,
grapefruit, whole coconuts, bananas, and grains of lentils are also very
peculiar. These items are contained in small, semicircular pans woven out
of bamboo strips.
Strict saltless vegetarian menu is observed (even onions and garlic are
considered unwanted during the entire festival period), all earthen
vessels are reserved for the period only and all possible purity of food
is adhered to.
The Places Of Activity :
Renowned for their sun temples, Deo
in Aurangabad and Baragaon near Nalanda, are abuzz with activity. These
are the places where the Chhath in Bihar can best be seen.
The temple at Deo faces west, unlike other sun temples in India that face
East, and during the festival time it is the most crowded place.
Forgetting all the barriers of caste, creed and colour, all the devotees
throng the banks of the river to offer their prayers to the Sun god.
Bringing to the fore the jubilation and festive gaiety of the people of
Bihar that transcends all the artificial social and economic barriers, the
festival is more of a sacrifice which entails purificatory preparation.
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