Respect the Setting Sun

by Sheila Shrivastava

It is said that everybody salutes the rising sun. But in Chath pooja devotee ladies offer their first pooja to setting sun and next day to rising sun.
After six days of Diwali, Chath pooja or Surya Shashthi is celebrated. It started in Bihar and then spread to other parts too. Men who are far from their villages and cities make it a point to visit their home towns to attend this pooja.
The swelling crowds in trains and buses is proof of this. Though the origin of Chath Pooja is not known, but it is written in Mahabharata that Draupadi did this pooja. Bhagalpur, which was beforehand Anga Desh and the king, was Karna who was son of Sun God used to start his day after offering pooja to Sun God and after that offer charity to needy people. This way this pooja was prevalent even in olden days. Some people call it Mother Chath, which is Goddess Durga’s sixth incarnation Katyayini Devi who fulfills all the wishes of their devotees and protects their family from all the dangers.
So ladies keep this fast with faith and purity. Now some men have started keeping this fast too. The first day they eat only once at night. Second day without taking water for the whole day they offer their prayers to the setting sun standing in the water and the third day they wait for rising sun standing in the water since 5 am. Actually, women perform this pooja on the riverside or ponds but because this is not available in cities they keep a plastic tub filled with water and stand in that. Actually it is a thanks giving day to the Sun God, because we offer each and everything that is available these days. All the fruits, vegetables, coconut and sugarcane everything is included in prasaad which they offer to Sun God. Besides that main part is Thekua which is made with whole wheat flour, jaggery and Desi ghee. As we offer our new crop to Fire God during Lohri and give thanks to God for giving so much, this pooja also gives thanks to God for his blessings.