PURVA ( MEGA HEALTH CAMP FOLLOWED BY CULTURAL EVENING)

Chath Mahaparv Celebrations

The Chath Mahaparv Celebrations is an annual four-day festival celebrated six days after Diwali or on the sixth day of the Kartik month in the Hindu calendar. The festival is unique to the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Devotees observe a nirjala vrat (fasting without water) during this festival and offer Arghya to Chhathi Maiya and Surya Devta. It is believed that during Chath, deities fulfil all the wishes of the devotees.

During the ritual of Arghya, people place fruits, soups, and a lit lamp in a bamboo basket and offer them to the setting sun. Bamboo baskets hold a special significance in this festival. Additionally, Chhathi Maiya is offered prasad like banana, Thekua, Malpua, Kheer-Puri, dates, semolina pudding, rice laddus, and more. Devotees wear new clothes on this day.

After offering Arghya in the evening on the Shashthi, people pray to the Sun God and sing songs of Chhathi Maiya at night. After this, on the day of Saptami (day 4), before sunrise, devotees reach the ghats early in the morning. After reaching the ghat, before sunrise, they offer Arghya to the rising sun, pray to the Sun God and then break the long and arduous fast.

Chhath Puja Shashthi Sandhya Arghya time:

On the third day of Chhath Puja, the sunrise will happen at 6:40 am, and the sun will set at 5:30 pm. The devotees can offer the second Arghya to the Sun God before this.

The Chhath Puja is also known as Pratihar, Dala Chhath, Chhathi and Surya Shashthi.