Wall Hanging

Chhath also called Dala Chhath is an ancient festival dedicated to the sun god, Surya, also known as Surya Shashti. This puja is performed as a thanksgiving to Surya for sustaining life on earth and to ask for the fulfillment of the wishes of his devotees. Surya, considered the god of energy and life force, is worshipped during the festival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water (vrata), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prasad and aragh or arghya to the setting and rising sun. Chhath puja is performed on Kartika Shukla Shashti, which is the sixth day of the month of Kartika in the Hindu calendar. This falls typically in the month of October or November in the Gregorian calendar.
It is also celebrated in the summer (March-April) on Chaitra Shashti, a few days after Holi. This event is called Chaiti Chhath. Dala Chhath is more popular since winter is the usual festive season in north India, and being an arduous observance, requiring the worshippers to fast without water for around 36 hours continuously, is easier to undertake in the Indian winter. Chhath is a ritual bathing festival that follows a period of abstinence and ritual segregation of the worshipper from the main household for four days. During this period, the worshipper observes ritual purity, and sleeps on a single blanket on the floor. It is believed that the Maga Purohits (also known as Shakya Dwipi brahmins) were invited by local kings for their expertise in worshipping the sun god. They started the tradition of Chhath puja. Today it is celebrated specially in the areas dominated by Shakya Dwipi brahmins.
It is believed that the ritual of Chhath puja may even predate the ancient Vedic texts, as the Rigveda contains hymns worshipping the sun god and describes similar rituals. The rituals also find reference in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is depicted observing similar rites.
In the poem, Draupadi and the Pandavas performed the Chhath ritual on the advice of sage Dhaumya. Through her worship of the sun god, Draupadi was not only able to solve her immediate problems, but also helped the Pandavas to regain their lost kingdom later.
It is also believed that Chhath was started by Karna, the son of Surya (Suryaputra Karna) who ruled over the Anga Desh (present-day Munger district of Bihar) during the age of the Mahabharata and was a great warrior who fought against the Pandavas in the battle of Kurukshetra.
It is said that the goddess worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja known as Chhathi Maiya is also known as Usha in the Vedas. She is believed to be the consort of Surya the sun god.
Usha refers to the dawn - the first light of day. However, in the Rigveda she has a symbolic meaning- “dawn of divine consciousnesses.” During this puja, Chhathi Maiya is invoked to bless the devotees with divine consciousness believed to lead to moksha or liberation.
The images created by women artisans in the embroidered piece show the progress of prayers in the Magadhi dialect that take place during the period of Chhath puja.
Day 1: Nahay khay (literally, bathe and eat):
On the first day of Chhath puja, the devotees take a dip, preferably in the holy river Ganga, and carry home the water of the Ganga to prepare the offerings. The house and surroundings are scrupulously cleaned. The participants allow themselves only one meal on this day known as kaddu-bhat (pumpkin with rice). Traditionally, the food is cooked on an earthen stove and mango wood is used as fuel. Only bronze or earthen utensils are used to prepare the food.
Day 2: Kharna or Lohanda (the day before Chhath):
On Panchami, the day before Chhath, a fast is observed for the whole day, which ends in the evening a little after sunset. Just after the worship of the earth, the offerings of rasiao-kheer (a sweet dish of milk, rice and jaggery), puris (deep-fried puffs of wheat flour) and bananas are distributed amongst family and friends. From this day onwards, for the next 36 hours, the participants go on a fast without water.
Day 3: Sanjhiya Arghya (evening offerings):
The day is spent preparing the prasad (offerings) at home. On the eve of this day, the entire household accompanies the devotees to a riverbank, pond or a common large water body to make offerings (arghya) to the setting sun.
Day 4: Paarun (the day after Chhath):
Bihaniya Arghya: On the final day of the Chhath puja, the devotees, along with their families and friends, go to the riverbank before sunrise, to make offerings (arghya) to the rising sun. There is a lot of festivity on the riverbank and the festival ends with breaking of the vrata (fast) followed by distribution of prasad to the devotees.