Chhath Puja, considered a great festival of folk faith, has started today, Friday, 18th November. The festival of Chhath is celebrated every year on the Shashthi date of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month. On this day there is a tradition of worshiping Lord Surya and Chhathi Mata. It is believed that the worship of Chhath is not complete until the story of this holy festival is heard. So let us know in detail about the mythological fasting story of Chhath Puja.

Chhath Puja Vrat Katha

Story of Priyamvad and Malini

According to the Puranas, there was a king named Priyambad who had no children. Then Maharishi Kashyap organized a yagya at the king’s house to get a son. Maharishi asked Priyambad’s wife Malini to eat the kheer prepared for the yagya-havan. Due to the influence of kheer, the king and queen had a son, but he died. Priyamvad took his son to the crematorium and died due to separation from his son. At the same time, Devasena, daughter of Lord Manas, appeared. She told the king that I am called Shashthi because I am born from the sixth part of the basic nature of the universe. The mother ordered the king to perform her puja and inspire others to do the same. The king, wishing to have a son, worshiped Goddess Shashthi and soon he was blessed with a son. The day on which the king observed this fast was Shashti Tithi of Kartik Shukla. Since then the tradition of worshiping Chhathi Maiya started.

Karna started it

During the Mahabharata period, Kunti’s son Karna was considered a hero. Karna was the son not only of Mother Kunti but also of Sun God. Sun God had special blessings on Karna. Karna used to wake up early in the morning and offer Arghya to the Sun God. Since then the tradition of Surya Arghya started as a festival. Apart from this, there is also mention of Kunti and Draupadi fasting in the scriptures. It is said that it was only after Draupadi performed Chhath Puja that the Pandavas got back their lost kingdom.

Shri Ram and Mother Sita also kept fast

Description of Chhath Puja is also found in Ramayana. Actually, Lord Ram was the Suryavanshi king and his worshiper and deity was Surya Dev. For this reason, before the establishment of Ram Rajya, Lord Ram celebrated Chhath festival with Mother Sita on the day of Kartik Shukla Shashthi and worshiped Lord Surya with all rituals.

This has also been described in Markandeya Purana.

It is mentioned in Markandeya Purana that Chhathi Maiya is the presiding goddess of nature and is also the sister of Lord Surya. Chhathi Maiya is considered to be the mother who bestows happiness, long life and good fortune on children. These mothers are remembered when the sixth day of the child’s birth is celebrated. By his grace, not only does the child get all kinds of comforts and luxuries but the problems in his life also automatically go away.