Chhath Puja 2024: Chhath Puja is an important Hindu festival commemorating the Sun God, Surya, and his consort, Chhathi Maiya. Devotees offer prayers, fasting, and make offerings to the setting and rising sun, seeking health, prosperity, and well being of their families. The festival includes rituals such as sacred bathing, fasting, and offering fruits, sweets, and other items in water bodies.
In addition to fasting and offering prayers to the Sun God, women during Chhath Puja are seen applying vermilion from their nose to forehead. This practice holds deep significance. Let's explore why this ritual is observed during the festival.
Significance Of Applying Sindoor
There is a special tradition during Chhath Puja where women wear a long line of orange vermilion from their forehead to their nose. The vermilion symbolised the redness of the sun and it is believed that wearing it in this way will ensure long life for their husbands. By following this practice, women seek the blessings of Chhathi Maiya for a happy and prosperous life.
Why Is Orange Sindoor Used?
Most women usually wear red vermilion, but during Chhath Puja, they only wear orange vermilion. This has religious significance as the colour orange is associated with Lord Hanuman, who is believed to be celibate. After marriage, a woman's celibacy vow ends, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Therefore, the use of orange vermilion for this special occasion reflects this change. This tradition is practiced not only in Bihar and Jharkhand, but also in many other regions. Chhath Mahaparv embodies the spirit of devotion and its tradition also emphasises family and community unity.
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