Patna: Chhath is perhaps the only festival that transcends religion barriers, as both Hindus and Muslims observe it with sanctity, pure devotion and unwavering faith.
Zulekha Khatoon (51), a resident of Kankarbagh, has been performing Chhath for the last two decades along with her husband, Shahnawaz Alam, after experiencing two miscarriages and being childless for a decade.
To be blessed with a child, she visited several ‘mazars’ and even observed fasts, but nothing changed in her life. A turning point came in life in 2004, when she met with a ‘chullah’-maker, who suggested her to perform Chhath to fulfil her wish. Initially, she did not agree, but her husband persuaded her to follow the suggestion. “By the grace of the sun God, within 11 months of performing Chhath, I was blessed with a healthy son. Since then, I have been doing Chhath with sincere devotion,” she said.
Similarly, Najma Khatoon, a resident of Chhajjubagh, has been observing Chhath for 11 years. She remained childless for five years after her marriage. While she conceived twice, both her two newborns did not survive. Despite visiting numerous ‘dargahs’, observing fasts, and offering prayers, her wishes remained unfulfilled. “I heard that worshipping Chhathi Maiya brings the happiness of having children. Then I made up my mind to perform Chhath. I went to Ganga ghat and made a vow to Chhathi Maiya that if I have children, I will do the Chhath puja while performing all the rituals. Chhathi Maiya fulfilled my wishes and today I have five children—two sons and three daughters,” she said.
Some people call ‘Chhathi Maiya’ as ‘Shashthi Devi’, the goddess of fertility and the protector of children, while others believe that she bestows the devotees and their families with good health, long life and success. This brings people belonging to different faiths and religions together to pay obeisance to the sun God.
Pankaj Utreja (45), a native of Delhi and govt schoolteacher, has come all the way from his home town to Bihar for the first time only to perform the Chhath puja. When asked what prompted him to observe the Chhath, he said that there are very few festivals which is celebrated with purity. “I heard a lot about Chhath, a festival in which the traditions and rituals have still not been diluted. The build up to the festival starts from Dussehra and Diwali and then fasting is observed during Chhath. It is all done in a progression and the methods completely prepare people mentally and physically to observe the fast,” he said.
“I believe that there is some deep faith in this festival and the feeling that I experience while observing the rituals here cannot be expressed in words. I could have done the Chhath from Delhi also, but I felt that if I go to Ganga ghat and perform the rituals with other devotees, I will get the authentic experience,” Pankaj told this reporter.
Namrata (54), a resident of Boring Canal Road (East), has been observing Chhath for the last 17 years, after her son Yuvraj, who was then in class IV, asked his mother to perform the Chhath. “About 17 years ago, my son insisted that all his friends’ mothers observed Chhath, so I should also to it. At first, I took it casually and told him that it was tough, then I gave it a thought. I asked my mother whether I should do it and she also helped me. For three years, I did all the rituals except holding the ‘soop’. But after that I started following all the rituals and perform puja from the rooftop,” Namrata said.