A lesson in communal harmony

Mohd Sajjad Khan and his family, devout Muslims, who migrated to Delhi from a faceless sleepy village in Saharsa district of Bihar way back in 1979 are yet again this year ready to join the Hindu carvan which often at this time of the year, right after Diwali, streams from several corners of the mega city towards nearby water bodies. Undeterred by the recent happenings hell bent to tarnish our cultural fabric, he says, "Back home we are still a seamless community of Indian identity observing each others’ festivals with equal zeal and fervor. I inherited this bond from my forefathers and hence despite being a Muslim, I, along with my all family members, have over the generations imbibed the very essence of what this festival is all about. Good health, prosperity and of course a common heritage," he underlines. "I am proud of my cultural heritage that has no space for hatred of any kind," he emphasizes. And his knowledge on Chhat and its significance takes faith miles further beyond the confines of religious barriers.
Celebrated with utmost devotion and tight rituals this three-day long festival formally starts on the 6th day after Diwali with offering prayer to setting Sun. People observing it are called Vratis who stand for hours together in knee-dip water chanting hymns from our scriptures offering prayer to Sun God and follow a string of very strict rituals, the hallmark of this festival that begins a couple of days in advance with having food consisting mainly of rice and pumpkin-gram curry. This is taken after having bath and hence called Nahay-Khay, back home.
The day after is called Kharna. Vratis, after having rice pudding and chapattis offer prayers to moon in the evening. Henceforth they won’t be allowed even a drop of water down their throat and as the Sun, the following day moves westward to sink the Vratis follow suit. Standing waist down in nearby ponds or rivers they fix their gaze on sinking Sun offering Ardhya i.e. special offerings, prepared especially with utmost care and purity. Fruits and thekua, often called Bihari biscuit made of wheat-flour, sugar and crushed dry fruits, are offered generally.
Fruits mainly consist of coconut, sugarcane and pious seed-sprouts. Now the last leg of this three-day long marathon fast begins with waiting for the sunrise. This night-long stay for people coming from distant locations at the river bank is often spent singing folk songs. Hours before the sunrise they again stand in water with hands folded, eyes stuck in the east and with the first reddish glimmer on the horizon they begin offering Ardhya of prasad often accompanied with milk which is poured in the water. Everyone receives prasad and gets home with a deep feeling of accomplishment and joy. Right food, strict guiding rules and complete psychosomatic purity defining the main rituals underline why this festival enjoys such a high esteem in Hindu cultural calendar.
Self abnegation and non-negotiable rules defining the salient features of this Vrat take us back to the Vedas period when sun worship was prevalent in the Indian subcontinent. Sukanya, daughter of King Yayati had performed Chhat Puja to get back eye-sight for her husband Chyavan Hrishi who was blind. Pradumn, son of Lord Krishna, who was afflicted with leprosy, is also, as per our scriptures, said to have performed this Vrat and was cured.