New Delhi: Chhath Puja is a festival celebrated in reverence to the Sun God. The festival commences with the end of Deepavali. It entails preparations for the purification of the soul. It can be performed by anyone irrespective of caste or religion as the festival is a way to pure mind and soul. However, Chaath Puja of Bihar is particularly famous. The festival is also celebrated in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Delhi and Chandigarh.Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival and only Vedic Festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya, also known as Surya Shashti.The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. Waves splash water on Hindu devotees performing rituals at sunset during Chhath Puha festival in the Arabian Sea in MumbaiWatch Chhath celebrations in pics:Hindu woman holds a lamp and performs rituals during Chhath Puja festival at a lake in Kolkata.Chhath prayers, an ancient Hindu festival popular amongst the working class, is performed to thank the Sun God for sustaining life on earth.Waves splash water on Hindu devotees performing rituals at sunset in the Arabian Sea in Mumbai.Nepalese women offer prayers on the banks of the Bagmati River in Katmandu.A Hindu woman puts vermillion powder on the forehead of another during prayers at sunset in the Tawi River to mark Chhath Puja festival in Jammu.Hindu devotees stand in water as they perform rituals to the setting sun in Bangalore.An Indian woman, right, gets her feet decorated with colors by another woman on the second day of the Chhath Puja festival the banks of the Ganges river in Patna.Thousands of Hindu devotees crowd the banks of the River Ganges to perform rituals on Chhath Puja festival in Patna.The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days.They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prashad (prayer offerings) and aragh to the setting and rising sun. It is believed that the Maga Purohits (modern days known as Shakya Dwipi Brahmins) were invited by local kings for their expertise in Sun worshiping.Today Chhat Puja is celebrated specially in those places where Shakya Dwipi Brahmins are found.It is believed that the ritual of Chhath puja may even predate the ancient Vedas texts, as the Rigveda contains hymns worshiping the Sun god and describes similar rituals. The rituals also find reference in the Sanskrit epic poem Mahābhārata in which Draupadi is depicted as observing similar rites. A Hindu devotee holds a lamp and offers prayers in the Kathajodi River near Cuttack.It is also believed that Chhath was started by Karna, the son of Surya (Surya Putra Karna).It is also said that the Goddess that is worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhathi Maiya. Hindu devotees walk back from the River Ganges after performing rituals during sunset on Chhath Puja festival in Patna.A young Hindu girl takes a photograph of her relative as they gather on the banks of the Arabian Sea.A Hindu devotee stands in water and performs rituals to the setting sun in Bangalore
