Chhath Puja 2020: How to celebrate Chhath at home in Corona era?
Mahaparva Chhath (Chhath Puja 2020) has started with Nahai-Khay today. This festival is celebrated with great pomp in Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. This festival of Chhath Puja is dedicated to the sun, nature, water, air and his sister Chhathi Maiya. Worshiping the ghat on this day has special significance. Vrati women and their families go to the ghat to offer prayers to the Sun God.However, due to Corona virus, many restrictions have been imposed this time (Coronavirus Guidelines). Due to the increasing cases of Corona, there is an appeal not to do Chhath Puja in public places. If you too are not able to go to the ghat for Chhath Puja, then there is nothing to worry. You can celebrate this festival at home with some precautions.
First of all, thoroughly clean the house. After cleaning the room in which the fast is to be made, make a pavilion with sugarcane and banana leaves. Decorate this pavilion with flowers and lamps. Fill a large urn of copper with water and decorate it with flowers.
Set up a clean outpost in the center of the pavilion and put a new yellow cloth on it. Now make the shape of Suryadev and Shashthi Mata with sesame and rice on the outpost. Put three betel nuts on them and put all the material of worship together there in front of it. Worship them duly before offering arghya.
Make sure a place at home where Prasad of Chhath Puja is to be made. The place to make prasad should be absolutely clean. Prasad of Chhath Puja is made on clay stove and mango wood.
The Mahaparva of Chhath lasts for four days. For these four days the atmosphere of the house should be sattvic. Songs have special significance in Chhath worship. Every year women are singing chhath songs from home to ghat. If you are not able to go to the ghat this year, then stay in the house and sing songs of the sixth maiya. This will make your home completely devotional.
Offering Chhath to Sun in Chhath festival has special significance. If you are not able to go to the ghat, then you can offer water to the Sun God by standing in an open part of the house, such as a roof or balcony, by filling water in a new big tub. While offering Arghya to the Sun, the rays of the Sun should be visible in the water stream. After giving the arghya in the morning, distribute the prasad of the sixth mother to the members of the house.
Let us tell you that today is November 18 i.e. Nahay Khay (2020) and Kharna will be celebrated on November 19. After this, Arghya will be given to the setting sun on the day of Sasthi on 20 November and to the rising sun on Saturday.