New Delhi: Chhath Puja is a 4-day festival. This festival is celebrated every year with great enthusiasm across the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar-Jharkhand. This time the festival of Chhath started with Nahai Khay on 18 November. Nirjala fast will begin on Thursday with ‘Kharna’. Kharna means purification. On this day, a person observing a family fast keeps fast throughout the day and tries to cleanse the body and mind. On this day, devotees worship their kuldevata and Chhath Maiya with a clear heart and offer kheer made of jaggery to them.
According to Hindu calendar, it is celebrated on Panchami of Kartik month. Vedic will be offered by making pudding of kheer and fruits at dusk. A hard 36-hour fast will begin with receiving Kharna offerings from Thursday. After this, Arghya will be offered to Asthachalagami Sun on Friday.
Method of worship
- A 36-hour long fast begins for women from the day of hoisting.
- This fast ends after offering arghya to the rising sun.
- Women observing fast on this day bathe in the evening and prepare bread and jaggery pudding offerings according to rituals.
-Kheer, radish, banana are also kept in the puja offerings. - On this day, Prasad is usually prepared by burning mango wood on an earthen stove.
- Women observing fast take prasad after worshiping Lord Surya.
-Prasad consists of rasiava, kheer, puris, and fruits, which are distributed to all on banana leaf after worship.
Pooja Time:
Kharna Pooja Muhurta – 19 November, 5 to 22 minutes, 7 to 26 minutes
Sunrise on Kharna Chhath Puja – 5:30 AM
Sunset on Kharna Chhath Puja – 5 pm 47 minute.
In festival food people, especially people from Bihar, make dishes like jaggery kheer, pumpkin-bhat, and thekua-gujhiya. After completing an 8–12 hour fast, they enjoy these dishes with their family. On this joyous occasion people wear new clothes and celebrate with their friends and family.
Chhath Puja Kharna Katha
It is believed that Chhath Maiya, who is worshiped during Chhath, is the sister of Sun God. This is why people offer water to the sun and please the sixth maiya. At the same time, Katyayani Devi, the sixth form of Maa Durga, is also considered to be the form of Chhath Mata and she is worshiped.
Delicious kheer made from mango wood on clay stove
On the second day of Chhath Vrat i.e. on Thursday in Kharna, Kheer will be made by mixing mango wood with sugarcane juice or jaggery with Arva rice on an earthen stove. Prasad of ghee chupadi roti and chopped fruits with kheer will be offered to Lord Surya. After offering Arghya to Prasad with milk and Ganga water, the Vratis will accept it. On the morning of November 21 after eating, only after offering Arghya, the fasters will take water and food.
Also read in Hindi: Chhath Puja 2020: जानें! खरना विधि, पूजा विधान, पूजा का समय, सूर्यास्त समय और शुभ मुहूर्त