Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part B (2024)

Chhatha is a unique Hindu Vedic festival being celebrated in India and Nepal since time immemorial. It’s a four-day long festival dedicated to Sun God and his wife Usha, often called Chhathi Maiya. The devotees who offer prayers to the setting and rising sun have to undergo through a rigorous fast. There is a belief that the closeness to the waters connects the devotees to the god and the impressed god showers blessings upon the family members of the devotees. Mostly observed by women, this festival does not require male priests and utterance of mantras to perform the Puja. This festival demands cleanliness of banks of rivers and ponds and waters therein and promotes equality and fraternity among the devotees. This way, it’s the festival of cleanliness, equality, and fraternity. Its a submission of god for the well-being of family members. This festival is the perfect example of how a woman sacrifices in our society for the longevity of her husband and for the prosperity and well-being of her family members.