Uttarakhand / Dehradun : The great festival of Chhath started with bathing, Bihari Mahasabha distributed pumpkin rice prasad
Chhath Mahaparv has started from Friday with Nahay Khay. The ghats of the river have been cleaned for the four-day festival. Simultaneously Chhath Maiya has been established. After bathing in the morning, the fast of Chhath festival started after consuming rice with vegetables made of pumpkin and gram dal. After about 36 hours of Nirjala fast, ‘Kharna’ will be organized on Saturday evening. Kheer made of jaggery and milk is eaten in Kharna. Kheer is also distributed as Prasad. After receiving the prasad, the fasting people will offer arghya to the setting sun on Sunday evening and on Monday morning the rising sun will be offered Arghya. After this Chhath Puja will be completed and the fasting people will break their fast. In view of the preparation for this great festival, Chhat Puja is organized by the Bihari Mahasabha in the capital Dehradun, on 30th and 31st October 2022 for the Chhath Mahotsav program, the Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple, under the Premnagar bridge and the Bihari Mahasabha to provide security arrangements in the Chandramani temple. The officials met the DM and requested him to make security and health related arrangements.
Bihari Mahasabha, the largest organization of Purvanchal in Uttarakhand, is celebrating four days Chhath Mahaparva from tomorrow. Bihari Mahasabha President Lalan Singh said that all the preparations for Chhath Mahaparv have been completed by the assembly, the ghats are being cleaned on a large scale, for this a separate team has been formed which is located in Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple Prem Nagar Chandramani and Maldevata. The committee will be with the committee, cleaning of the ghats is being done at all the places, for which help is being taken from the team of Sulabh Sanitation in cleaning.
Sulabh International is giving cooperation in cleanliness
Secretary of Bihari Mahasabha, Chandan Kumar Jha informed that Sulabh International is helping in cleanliness at all major ghats by his local GM and Regional Manager Udai Singh. Chhath is a festival of religious faith and cleanliness, so first the program of cleanliness and then pumpkin rice will be done, thanks to the officials of Sulabh and especially its founder Bindeshwar Pathak for the help of Sulabh International.
Bathing and eating
Chhath Puja, the great festival of folk faith, begins with Nahay Khay. According to the Hindu calendar, this four-day long festival of Chhath Puja starts from the Shashthi of Kartik month. Chhath, a four-day festival of folk faith, will begin on October 28 with a bath. Kharna is on 29 October. Arghya will be offered to the setting sun on October 30 and the rising sun on October 31.
Bihari Mahasabha started Chhath Mahaparva with bathing and eating
The Bihari Mahasabha has started Chhath Mahaparva with the Nahay Khay. On the morning of taking bath, the fasting wakes up early in the morning and after taking bath in the Ganges etc., they start the fast with Surya Puja. On the day of Nahay Khay, Vratis prepare Kaddu-Bhat (pumpkin curry and rice) with Chana Dal and it is eaten. Along with this, the fasting starts the 36-hour Nirjala fast. Along with having a bath, the Vratis lead a sattvik life with rules and keep themselves away from all kinds of negative emotions like greed, attachment, anger etc. Take a bath It is the first day of the festival, on which the Vratis/devotees take a bath in a river, pond, or any other water body, especially in the river Ganges.
A religious meal
On the day of bathing, fasting makes pumpkin, gourd and moong-gram dal. Which is first eaten by the fasting. It is then distributed to the members of the household in the form of prasad among others and is consumed. On this day devotees clean the house and the surrounding premises. On this day the fasting eats only once.
Importance of eating pumpkin on the day of bathing
Chhath begins with taking a bath. On the first day, after bathing in the Ganges, pumpkin rice and greens are eaten. If we talk about Bihar-Jharkhand, then gourd is prevalent in Bihar. Chhath fasting should take bath on that day they consume pumpkin. In such a situation, the demand for pumpkin increases in the markets. It is believed that Chhath festival begins by eating mustard greens, rice and pumpkin. That’s why the first day of the fast is called taking a bath. Both these vegetables are considered completely sattvik. It increases the ability to transmit positive energy. Also, from a scientific point of view, pumpkin is an easily digestible vegetable.
Benefits of eating Pumpkin Rice?
Pumpkin curry is specially prepared on the day of taking bath. Those who observe fast first take it. Apart from religious beliefs, there are many benefits of eating it. Anti-oxidants are present in sufficient quantity in pumpkin, due to which the immune system is strong and the fasting remains safe from diseases. Apart from this, dietary fiber is found in abundance in pumpkin. The problems related to the stomach are removed by its consumption. Therefore, pumpkin rice is eaten on the first day of Chhath festival.
Follow these rules on fasting day
- From the day of bathing the fast should wear clean and new clothes.
- It is necessary to pay special attention to cleanliness. It is not considered good for the object of worship to be dirty.
- From having a bath till the end of Chhath, the fasting sleeps on the ground. The fasting person can sleep by laying a mat or sheet on the ground.
