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mahimA of Chatthi MaiyA

Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
In the eastern region of India (esp., Bihar-Jharkhand) the all-important festival, Chatha Puja, is underway. So I thought sharing some known and unknown facts regarding Chatha Puja.

Chatthi Maiya is the Deity worshipped, by all sections of the society, on the evening of the day and the very morning of the next day. That is, Surya is worshiped in His setting and rising forms. In Veda they are separate deities: Ratri and Usha.

{Ratri-Usha, combined, is also known as AsviniKumar, and He is invoked before worshipping any deity}.

Chattha is a Vedic festival. In the post Vedic, Draupadi is known to have celebrated this festival. And, yes, it is women who perform all rituals, have personal relation with Maiya, and indeed all family and community revolve around and support them in this endeavor.

Ratri and Usha are worshipped by women standing in the running water of a river, preferably Ganga, by offering "water yagya" (called arghya) to Ratri (setting Surya) and Usha (rising Surya the next morning). Ofcourse, before this, there is procession of sorts where thousands of people move towards the nearest river, led by their women.

Who is Chatthi MaiyA?

She is the female form of Lord Indra (the "sixth"/ chatthA) Himself. The symbology of Indra making "rivers" run through Usha-Ratri is also apparent.

Of course, the much maligned Lord Indra (by post vedic retards) is not consciously worshiped here; but names are hardly important, people do what they do, irrespective of everything, and get what they pray for.

History tells us Biharis have always led BharataVarsha in times of distress. Last time it was ChandraguptaMaurya and Chanakya, and no doubt the last word has not been spoken yet. Indratva very much thrives in this region.

That women are the movers in this most important puja also says a plenty about the Vedic culture.

Jai Chatthi MaiyA

KT
 
Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
Celebration of Ratri Devi was completed today, with the offering of arghya made to the setting Surya.

Ratri has beckoned Usha now, and tonight is going to be truly a mysterious transit, as Ganga prepares to flow down upon the mortals' abodes bringing amaratva with Her.

Let Chatthi Maiya guide us along in this journey.

Jai Chatthi MaiyA
 
Poeticus

Poeticus

| abhyAvartin |
History tells us Biharis have always led BharataVarsha in times of distress. Last time it was ChandraguptaMaurya and Chanakya
Click to expand...

Even though we can't be 100% sure about Chanakya's ethnicity, it is generally accepted by Indian historians themselves, that Chanakya was from Takshashila, most likely a Northwestern Indian/Northern Indian in ethnic lineage. Not a Bihari. But, Shri Maha Samraat Chandragupta Maurya was a Bihari, yes. It was due to the prowess of the Magadhā that the Macedonian forces chose to not go any further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[youtube]WlPjiRNEanU[/youtube]

I hope you had a wonderful Shri Auspicious Chatthi MaiyA. May the eternal mothers Shri Maha Usha and Shri Maha Ratri bless us all.
 
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Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
मैत्रावरुणिः;3557530 said:
Even though we can't be 100% sure about Chanakya's ethnicity, it is generally accepted by Indian historians themselves, that Chanakya was from Takshashila, most likely a Northwestern Indian/Northern Indian in ethnic lineage.
Click to expand...
Chanakya was a professor at Taxila university, and unversities employ people from all over the world. The only other place attached to his name is Patliputra. So, I guess it has to be a choice between these two (though I prefer the latter). Anyways, doesnt matter.
I hope you had a wonderful Shri Auspicious Chatthi MaiyA. May the eternal mothers Shri Maha Usha and Shri Maha Ratri bless us all.
Click to expand...
Thank you, my friend.

Jai Chatthi MaiyA
 
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Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
The puja was competed today by offering arghya to Usha Devi, and then lighting the sacred fire in the Vedi. After that the (women) Vrat-ins broke their 36 hrs long fast.

The final landmark in this season of festivals- that started with the DurgA pujA- would be the "igyAras", that is- the 11th day puja (whereas Chatth was the 6th), by when we would have completed the worship to all 11 Vedic Gods.

More than "puja", these are better understood and known as Vrat-s where people go on "doing the parts and the whole" by celebrating one festival (interlinked) with the another, year after year.

Jai Chatthi MaiyA
KT

PS:This is the meaning of Hinduism to the average Hindu, and he knows pretty well that these practices are rooted deep, deep within our origins and Vedas, that they are "into safe hands" already and don't need to hanker after the many "high brow" practices/ philosophies of late/ suspect origins advocated by various now-a-days-in-fashion elitist sects of equally late/ suspect origins.
 
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Poeticus

Poeticus

| abhyAvartin |
Do you have any pictures to share of the past two auspicious days of this interesting, celebratory event, by any chance?
 
Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
I was into the preparations, so could not have it on my cell, though I have a few pics on my (offline) ipad. But anyway very similar to this one, courtsey wikipedia:
640px-JanakpurChhathParvaFestival.jpg
 
Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
Kalicharan Tuvij said:
The final landmark in this season of festivals- that started with the DurgA pujA- would be the "igyAras", that is- the 11th day puja (whereas Chatth was the 6th), by when we would have completed the worship to all 11 Vedic Gods.
Click to expand...
So today is igyAras, better known as DevotthAna, and preparations are on full swing. Surely, the igyArah or "eleven" is associated with Shri Vishnu, and His esssence is indeed said to wake up from the yoga nidra today.

We will also celebrate today the "Tulsi vivAh", that is, the marriage of Devi Tulsi with Shri Vishnu.

Most importantly, all this will be celebrated around the midnight time, when we will be witnessing a transition between the 11th towards the mysterious 12th of the Veda,"The-You-Know-Who" of the Veda (as MV likes to call Him). And thus it will mark the end, nay even the "awaking" or "utthAna", of All Vedic Gods.

I will now take your leave to help family members in making "art" on the aangan by using natural colors; my favorite art, among others, is the "herd of gau-s"; very Vedic, isn't it?
 
Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
Kalicharan Tuvij said:
I will now take your leave to help family members in making "art" on the aangan by using natural colors; my favorite art, among others, is the "herd of gau-s"; very Vedic, isn't it?
Click to expand...
Another favorite is the line diagram of anna-bhandAr (a 4x3 2-D grid of squares), each square area of which is placed with a different food grain, or "anna".
Apparently, the tastes of all of our 12 Vedic Devata-s are different, including "the-you-know-who" Deva (sorry, no extra preference for you;)).
 
Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
Dhanyavad Ratikala ji, SF

Today there was this half a day long visit to an ancient BhadraKali temple.
Almost all the murtis, as is told, here are dug up from the same site, and still work is on it seems, and government is overseeing things.

On asking, the temple priest told me, "BhadraKali is the Lakshmi rupa of Kali."

The site has, strewn all over, many Jaina sculptures, and those of Buddha (one mysterious stupa carved as a Shiva Lingam), a "sahasra-lingam" (a thousand linga-s carved into the same bigger lingam), my favorite pancamukhi Hanuman, Lord Visvakarman, and so on (many shifted to a museum).

Then there are some Sadhus meditating here and there (and some "mysterious" things).

In a long history and turn of events, today we have BhadraKali watching over this desolate place, as the presiding deity, and in Her presence, finally, I felt at home.

I suppose this concludes my trips for the year.

Rig 10.070.008
म॒नु॒ष्वत् । य॒ज्ञम् । सुऽधि॑ता । ह॒वींषि॑ । इळा॑ । दे॒वी । घृ॒तऽप॑दी । जु॒ष॒न्त॒ ॥
manuṣvad yajñaṁ sudhitā havīṁṣīḻā devī ghṛtapadī juṣanta ||
May Ila, she whose foot drips ghee, the Goddess, taste "human-sacrifice" and well-formed oblation.
 
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Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
Namaste friends,

Here is a very nice post by ShivaFan which he posted on some other forum (that accidentally I came across), however going by the date (15 Nov '13), I believe the right place for the post will be here in this thread as it pertains to - I believe but could be wrong- to my previous post in this thread regarding the particular BhadraKaali temple. (Hope SF doesn't mind this; else I'd delete it)

Namaste

Here is an old story, hopefully correct.

There was a recluse girl who was born blind. Her parents, who were rich, put her in a cave because they feared the boys of the village would abuse their blind daughter. Her name was Aja, she lived not far from where the lions were. Aja also would make sounds such as "aaaa jaaa" sporatically and uncontrolled.

Every morning, the mother would go to the cave with food and water for the girl. They kept a guard in front of the cave day and night.

One day the father decided the girl now 8 years old needed religious teaching.

The father decided to send 3 teachers, one was a Jain, one was a Buddhist, and one was a Saiva. All three came on the same morning to the cave.

The Jain came in a white robe, and spoke of Jain dharma. The Buddhist came in a yellow robe and spoke of Buddhist dharma. The Saiva came in a saffron robe and spoke of Sanatana dharma.

The girl would sometimes make the sound. But she did listen also. She bowed and touched the feet of each teacher after the lessons, she would feel across the floor of the cave to find their feet.

The father was very pleased and left the girl alone to think.

Then Devi appeared in the cave. It so happened that an ancient murti of Devi was once hidden in the cave at the time of invasion.

She asked the girl, "Can you make me a garment? - I am naked. Give me the robe of one of those 3 men. Which color would I look best in?"

The girl said, "For some reason I can see you. But I could not see the colors of the robes worn by those 3 men. I could only hear their words. Forgive me Goddess, I do not know. But You are a color, I have seen a color for the first time because of You. I do not know it's name, but it is bright."

"Then I will stay naked for now" said the Goddess. "Is it so bright you cannot see Me naked?" She asked.

"Yes, You are that bright!" said Aja.

The guard outside was startled that the girl could speak so plainly. When he looked inside, Aja was with a small old murti in front of her made of blackish stone. Aja then turned and looked at the guard. She was no longer blind. The guard ran to the village to fetch the father.

The father came with the mother in joy to find the girl no longer blind. Hearing of the Goddess from Aja, he solemly brought the murti back to the village to be established in a temple. Everyone was amazed.

The 3 teachers were also given praise. Did their teachings awake the Goddess in the cave?

They heard of the request for one of their robes. Each was willing to give their robe to dress the murti of Devi. But which robe?

This started a big controversy in the village. She asked which color would She look best in. Some said it is white. Others said yellow. Others demanded it was saffron.

Everyone started fighting with each other. Aja volunteered that all three robes would be used. But it would not be. The fighting even started not only between villagers, but even between the 3 teachers.

"She is a Jaina Goddess!" yelled one, "No She is an ancient Hindu Goddess!" another would say, or "She is the Mother of Lord Buddha come to us!" and so on.

So the question was, how to prove what She is, a Jain, a Buddhist or a Hindu?

Aja asked the Goddess, help us to pick which color robe is the best color for You to wear?

She told the villagers, "I will wear the robe with the brightest color!" - All 3 teachers heard this reply from the Goddess as clear as the birds singing.

Then all 3 teachers slowly started to say things like, "Oh white is brighter than saffron and yellow" or "saffron is brightest and seen first from a distance", or "the Sun is the brightest, and the Sun is yellow" and things like that.

Prove which robe is the brightest, asked Aja to them.

So they went back to the cave with the 3 robes. They then ordered the guard to cover the entrance to the cave so it would leave only the 3 teachers and Aja in darkness.

Which robe would shine in the darkness?

But the proof failed. In the dark, all three robes were the same.

When they opened the door and went out, they were sad. They knew it was beyond their ability to say which robe was the brightest. Their eyes could not see in the dark. Nothing could be proven to them without the ability to see which color was the most bright. They had no such eyes.

So they dressed Her in black. Just like the cave.

Om Namah Sivaya
Click to expand...

I know I'm done here, but just thought making a re-visit to do this. And apologies to anyone here that I might have offended in any way; I just had to end and was looking out for a "punching bag". "Respect" is not good enough, I've to say I "love" y'all here.

Sia Ram:bow:
 
Aupmanyav

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Just one question (you are not done yet). :) Don't you prepare the meals on the banks of the river and eat it there where you go for Chath puja? I thought that is the custom.
 
Kalicharan Tuvij

Kalicharan Tuvij

Āstika
Aupmanyav said:
Just one question (you are not done yet). :) Don't you prepare the meals on the banks of the river and eat it there where you go for Chath puja? I thought that is the custom.
Click to expand...
pranam Aupmanyav,

We don't prepare/ eat any food there, though the offerings (arghya) made to Usha, Ratri and Chathi Ma are later distributed into family and friends as prasāda, which contains many items such as dry fruits, "thekua", "pirakia", fruits such as banana, apples, oranges etc-- all given away in bamboo winnows ("soop") the same ones used in the arghya-s also.

However, at some distance from the banks there could be found chāt-wallahas selling chāt, samosa, fokachey, etc, and children are allowed to relish these (apart from the crackers stuff).

Arguably, Chatha Puja is the biggest one in the eastern parts of India. However, in Jharkhand, I have to add here, Ramanavami is perhaps even more popular-- not so much because of the popularity of Bhagwana Ram but that of Shri Hanuman, which I've come to believe had birthplace in this area (there is a village in Gumla where it is said to be).

P.S.: as I understand from SF's PM, he is OK with the repost. To the other point, what is the point in continuing, and for what period? It has to end somewhere; further, I've got nothing substantially more to say than what I've said here, and that email PDF attachment. Plus I learnt here much, from many posters. May be it is time to just pray and do tapasya, and ask for more..


KT
 
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