CHHATH SPECIAL: “DEEP ROOTS” BY PRABUDDHA BISWAS

(C) Copyright of Prabuddha Biswas

Worship of the Sun God finds as prominent a place in the Little Tradition of Bihar as it does in the State’s Great Tradition.

Surya as a divinity is not confined to the greater texts of the Hindu system of belief. The worship of Sun/Fire is steeped in the folklore of Bihar. In Mithila, ‘KARIKH BALLAD’ depicts Sun worship and tells the tale of KARIKH who contacted leprosy and later became healthy by the grace of DINANATH (Sun God). Another character, ‘ATRI’ got its eyes due to Sun God.

In Maithili folk tradition, Sun God is visualised as having ‘TILAK’ on his forehead, wearing the sacred thread, ‘PITAMBAR GHUTI’ in his waist, ‘KHARAUN’ in the foot and ‘CANE’ in the hand and rides the horse drawn chariot.

According to social scientist Prafulla Kumar Singh Maun, CHHATH in Bihar is the physical manifestation of the worship of Sun God in the month of Kartik and Chaitra months. The ‘DALA CHHATH’ of Kartik month is more popular in south Bihar. The devotees urge the Sun God to provide them GOOD HEALTH, MALE PROGENY and WEALTH.

For worshipping CHHATH, seasonal fruits are needed. The only exception is ‘COCONUT’ which is known as ‘KANCHAN PHAL’. The most significant utensils used on the occasion are a HOLY POT (KALASH) and the CHATURMUKH DWIP. The HOLY POT signifies the Mother Earth or Mother Goddess, which proves beyond doubt, the inter-linkage between the SUN GOD (male divinity) and Mother Goddess (female divinity). In KOLBAR folk paintings, Moon and Sun are depicted in the bedrooms during ‘SUHAAG RAAT’ of newly married couples. In ‘GODHNA’ art, Sun, as symbol, is painted on the hand. There is a special sect of Sun worshippers (SURYA SAMPRADAYA) in Vaishali, who are mostly YADAVAS. They worship Sun God after bathing and give the first drop of milk to Sun God.

Sun is also part of the ‘’NAVA-GRAHA’. Though Sun is not the part of ‘PANCH-DEVA’ in Hindu pantheon but in Mithilanchal, Surya is also part of PANCH-DEVA along with VISHNU, PARVATI, SHIV and GANESH. Significantly, the Sun God is popularly known as ADITYASENA in North Bihar but in Central Bihar (south of Ganges)Sun is addressed as ADITYAMAL.

[Published in HT Patna Live, Sunday, November 10, 2002]

(C) Copyright of Prabuddha Biswas