The Chhath festival has become a common event due to cultural mixing between Nepalis from the hills, Madhesh, and different traditions.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Preparations are underway for the 'Sajhuka Arakh' of Chhath festival in various districts of Madhesh Province, including Mahottari. The devotees are observing a fast today.
The ritual of offering Argha to the Sun at the sunset of the fast is called ‘Sajhuka Arakh’ or ‘Sajiyaghat’. The devotees are preparing for this ‘Sajhuka Arakh’ today.
Today is considered the main day of this four-day festival where the Sun God and Shashthi Devi (Chhathi Devi) are worshipped. The devotees, who started the festival with the ‘Nahaykhaya’ ritual on Saturday, the fourth day of the Kartik Shukla, completed the ‘Kharna’ ritual on the second day, Sunday.
The ghats built in the reservoirs here are very attractive on the occasion of Chhath Parva, which is considered a symbol of devotion, loyalty and dedication. The devotees will offer Argha to the Sun at sunrise on Tuesday, the seventh day of the month of Saptami. The Chhath Parva will be formally completed after the devotees offer Argha to the Sun at sunrise. This morning ritual, which concludes the fast, is called ‘Bhorka Arakh’ or ‘Paran’.
Earlier, last Saturday, the devotees had taken a holy bath and performed the ‘Nahaya-Khay’ ritual, giving up uncooked rice, fish-meat, lentils, garlic-onion and foods considered impure during the fast. This is also called ‘Arba-Arbain’. Similarly, the ‘Kharna’ ritual of the second day was completed on Sunday.
On the day of the ‘Kharna’ ritual, people take a bath in the morning, fast all day, and in the evening, they have a moon darshan. Rice kheer cooked in sugarcane is offered to the family deities and Chhathi Mata. After eating that kheer, the devotees’ fast begins. It is a Maithil custom to cook this ‘Kharna’ prasad in a new clay oven.
After the ‘Kharna’ is completed and the fast begins, the fast is completed only after offering argha to the sun at sunrise the next morning. This time, the sunrise is at 6:12 am tomorrow, Tuesday. Only then does the 'Bhorka Arakh' (dawn arakh) take place and the festival ends, says Pandit Mahesh Kumar Jha, a resident of Bardibas-2.
Once the festival is over, the offerings offered to Suryadev and Chhathimata, including thakuwa, bhusuwa, and bananas, are brought home by the devotees and family members and eaten. A few decades ago, Chhath, which was considered the main festival of only the Mithila and Terai regions, has now become a national festival. Dr. Rajendra Prasad Bimal, a famous writer from Mithila region, said that Chhath has become a common festival due to the cultural mix between Nepalis from the hills, Madhesh, and different traditions.
