India is a land of festivals. All the year round, some place is celebrating some festival or the other. Today, all festivals are celebrated at a grand scale. Most are commercialised heavily. For example, organisers have taken Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Puja to a different height in a bid to compete against each other. The award money is extremely lucrative. It has inspired the organisers to invest in pomp and show. This further has generated plenty of subsidiary businesses in and around the place.

In the midst of all the glitz and glam, there are a few pristine celebrations. Chhath Puja is one such immaculate festival. The soul of the festivities is still in the right place. You should visit Bihar during Chhath Puja to soak in the purity.

Chhath Puja

Chhath Puja is popularly known as the "Festival of Happiness". The festival is celebrated over 4 days in Bihar and Jharkhand. Sun God is worshipped and thanked for blessing life on earth. People pray for a healthy and prosperous life. The devotees of Sun God observe very rigorous and strict rituals to worship the Lord. They firmly believe that the Lord fulfils all the wishes when the rituals are followed stringently.

Rituals

Chhath Puja is celebrated a week after Diwali. It is celebrated over 4 days. Each day has its own set of rituals. Devotees follow the rituals religiously. They abstain from non-vegetarian food, onion, garlic and negative thoughts for the entire month.

The first day is known as "Nahay-Khay". People clean their homes and surroundings. The person, who wants to offer prayers, eats only once on this day. The special meal is made of sprouts, rice and pumpkin or gourd.

The second day is known as Lohanda and Kharna. Devotees fast all day and prepare kheer with puris or chappattis and banana as prasad.

Women preparing Kheer and Puri

At the end of the second day, devotees pray to Goddess Sasthi or Chhathi Maiyya for their child's welfare and celebrate fertility.

Chhathi Maiyya Puja

The third day is known as Sandhya Arghya. It literally means Evening Offerings in Hindi. Devotees fast all day and prepare myriad offerings. All the offerings are kept in a basket made of either bamboo or metal.

Chhath Puja Prasad

Devotees worship the Sun God in the evening at the Ganges. It is a beautiful sunset sight with all the devotees, half-submerged in water. As all the people pray together, it sets a positive vibe in the environment. You can feel the energy in the surrounding.

After worshipping the Sun God, the devotees return home to celebrate Kosi. Earthen pots or lamps are kept under sugarcane sticks. People can either choose 24 sugarcane sticks or 5 sugarcane sticks. If 24 sugarcane sticks are chosen then they have to be tied with a yellow cloth. Devotees must make sure that the shadow of the sugarcane sticks fall on the earthen pots or lamps.

Kosi

Devotees sing religious songs praising the Sun God all night.

The dawn of the 4th day is the most auspicious part of the entire period. Tens of thousands of devotees gather at the banks of the Ganga to worship the rising sun. They have been fasting for 36 hours without drinking even a drop of water. The rays of the sun energise the retina, hypothalamus and pituitary glands. The body gets detoxified and the immune system is strengthened. It wards off a multitude of diseases.  

Bhorwa Ghat on the 4th day

You must witness the morning prayers at sunrise. The simplicity and positive energy sets this festival apart. You might reach Patna a day before and witness the evening offering of the third day and the morning offering on the 4th day. You can book an hourly hotel in Patna near the bank of the Ganges and feel the festivities in all its glory. There are many couple-friendly hotels in Patna as well.

The main prasad or offering from the basket of offerings is  the thekua. The sweet crunchy delectable delight is prepared with wheat flour, jaggery and ghee. Dry fruits, fennel seeds and other spices are used to accentuate the flavour and enhance the taste.

Thekua

The other delicacy of Bihar is "litti-chokha". Though the dish has no relation with Chhath Puja, you absolutely cannot afford to miss the delicacy. They do not make it like this anywhere else. Litti is wheat dough balls stuffed with fried gram flour. It is served with Chokha. The chokha can be made of mashed potatoes, eggplants or tomatoes. The three vegetables can be mashed together or separately to prepare the chokha.

Litti Chokha

The immaculate festival is celebrated all across Bihar and Jharkhand. You can plan a pre-wedding trip with your loved one for a spiritual courtship. The peaceful atmosphere would help to fall in love again. You can stay at a couple-friendly hotel to rest.

The major places you can visit to ring in the festive air are:

  1. Patna

Patna is the capital of Bihar. The gathering and festivities are at a different scale as many people visit the city to offer their prayers. The sights at the ghats or banks in Patna is quite spectacular. The hourly hotels in the city are extremely hospitable. You can book an hourly hotel in Patna to enjoy a budget-friendly comfortable stay.

2. Hajipur

The Ganga and Gandak river meet at the the Kaunhara Ghat in Hajipur. During the festival period, the ghat is adorned with colourful lights. Evening strolls can also be enchanting at the ghat. The place is really near Patna. You can always stay at an hourly hotel near Patna and visit the ghat

3. Buxar

A long drive to Buxar from Patna can be an enthralling experience. Stay at a couple friendly hotel in Patna and enjoy the road trip with your loved one in the festive season.

4. Aurangabad

The sun temple in Aurangabad is beautifully decorated during this time. Even if you stay at an hourly hotel in Patna, you should visit the temple on the auspicious day.

Surya Mandir

You should definitely be a part of the festivities. The positive spirit would calm your soul and awaken your spiritual self. If you were touched by the festival, then you must celebrate Pongal in Tamil Nadu as well.