“Kelwa ke paat par ugelan Suraj mal jhoom ke,
Sarvariya mein dubki lagwale aragh dihi hum poor ke.”
"On the leaves of the banana tree, the Sun rises in joy,
Dipping into the river, we offer our complete devotion."
As chilly winds sweep across northern India, families in Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Uttar Pradesh gather to honor the Sun and rivers during Chhath Puja. This cherished Hindu festival, celebrated for health, prosperity, and respect for nature, marks the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter.
Chhath Puja unfolds over four days. The first day, Nahai Khay, involves taking a holy dip in rivers or ponds and enjoying a simple meal. The second day, Kharna, is marked by a full day of fasting, culminating in a meal of gur ki kheer (sweet rice pudding made with jaggery) and roti. The third day, Sandhya Arghya, is dedicated to offering prayers to the setting sun, while the final day, Usha Arghya, celebrates the rising sun.
An elderly villager from near Darbhanga shares, “I have celebrated Chhath Puja since childhood. I remember when my mother was alive; we used to eagerly prepare for the festival. My brother and I would clean the riverbank a month in advance. People in the village would get involved too. All disputes would be resolved while cleaning the riverbank.”
He laments, “Now, people just arrive at the ghat on the day of the puja. Some hire laborers to make their ghat presentable, while they don’t do any work themselves. This was never the meaning of Chhath Puja.” According to him, the act of preparing the riverbank wasn’t just a physical task but a spiritual cleansing, a way for the community to come together and leave behind their differences. The anticipation and the preparation were as important as the prayers offered during the festival itself.
While the essence of Chhath Puja remains rooted in the connection between humans and nature, the festival has undergone subtle shifts over time. Traditionally, the materials used in the celebration were eco-friendly—such as bamboo baskets, clay lamps, and offerings sourced directly from nature. However, in recent years, modernization has crept into the festivities, with plastic decorations, synthetic offerings, and even firecrackers becoming common, diluting the festival's environmental sustainability.
This change has not come without consequences. Environmentalists have raised concerns about how the festival, once a model of sustainability, is gradually contributing to pollution. A development professional working on water security shares, "Chhath Puja is a beautiful festival that unites communities, but the focus is often short-term. People clean the rivers for the festival, but afterwards, the same rivers are neglected and polluted."
The Interplay of Reverence and Restrictions
Over the years, the festival has also transformed into a duty that women feel compelled to fulfil, particularly for the well-being of their families and children. Originally, it was an occasion for women to come together and reconnect with family and friends upon returning to their native villages after marriage. This reunion offered a brief escape from daily responsibilities, filled with laughter and celebration. However, over time, additional rituals and expectations have surrounded this festival, especially for women.
Today, purity and fasting play significant roles, with strict rules governing who can participate and how. Women observing Chhath must adhere to an intense sense of purity, abstaining from food and water, while societal notions of "pure" and "impure" have become even more rigid. For instance, menstruating women are often restricted from entering kitchens or participating in rituals, reinforcing social divides. Caste dynamics are also deeply ingrained in Chhath. Each caste group has its designated ghat, or riverbank area, for rituals, with those of upper castes often being the most elaborately decorated. This reality starkly highlights the enduring caste system that persists in our society, even during festivals that stand for harmony.
Eco-conscious Celebrations in Hayaghat
In Hayaghat Saujauti, a village in Darbhanga district of Bihar, residents are gearing up for Chhat with a sense of environmental consciousness and spiritual devotion. One villager shared, “My family and I have celebrated Chhath Puja for generations, keeping it simple and natural. We avoid artificial items—no plastic or flashy decorations. Instead, we use natural materials like banana leaves, bamboo baskets, sugarcane, and thekua (a sweetmeat, prepared as an offering to the Sun). For us, Chhath is about honoring nature and staying connected to each other, focusing on items everyone can access, without any show-off.” This commitment to sustainability extends beyond the festival itself; villagers have a tradition of cleaning the local pond a month before Chhath Puja, ensuring it remains pollution-free throughout the year.
The festival that once celebrated harmony between humans and nature now faces modern challenges and also rigid gender roles. While efforts are underway to promote eco-friendly practices—such as banning plastic and encouraging the use of natural materials—the essence of Chhath Puja must transcend the four days of celebration. It requires a long-term commitment to environmental stewardship and equality woven into daily life. As the festival evolves, each generation must also work to preserve the environmental essence of Chhath, ensuring its message—of gratitude to the Sun, rivers, and nature—continues to resonate.