Bihar the central eastern state of India is rich in culture, traditions, and civilization. Bihar has wealth of attractions and festivals for its most discerning tourist. The tradition of festivals in Bihar is from times immemorial. Festivals in Bihar are colorful and promote love and brotherhood. To break the monotony of day-to-day life the festivals draws people closer and helps the people to work for the upliftment of the society. Chhath, also called Dala Chhath is the major festival in Bihar. In Chhath Sun God is worshipped. The unusual thing of Chhath in Bihar is that in this festival setting sun is worshipped. Chhath is celebrated twice a year: once in the summers which is called the Chaiti Chhath, and once after Deepawali which is called the Kartik Chhath as it falls in the month of Karthik.
The Karthik Chhath is the popular one because winters are the usual festive season in North India. The women mainly fast during the festival for the good of the family. The worshippers of Chhath are required to fast without water for more than 24 hours, and it is easier to do in the Indian winters. On the eve of Chhath, houses and the surroundings are cleaned. The ritual bathing and worship of the Sun God takes place twice: once in the evening and once on the crack of the dawn, usually on the banks of a flowing river, or a common large water body. During Chhath the ritual rendition of folk songs, carried on through oral transmission from one generation to the other are sung with immense faith in honor of the ‘Surya Dev’ or Sun God and ‘Chhath Maiyya’. Though Chhath is celebrated around a week after the festival of Diwali, the two festivals are not mythologically connected. Chhath is also celebrated by a great number of people in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Teej and Chitragupta Puja are other local festivals celebrated with fervor in Bihar. Makar Sankranti or Tila Sankranti marks the beginning of summer season.
The month long Shravani Mela is held along a 108 kilometer route linking the towns of Sultanganj and Deoghar is one of the major festivals in Bihar. Shravani Mela is held in the Hindu month of Shravan every year. Pilgrims, known as kanwarias, wear saffron colored clothes walks barefoot 108 kilometers to the Town Deogarh and collect water from a sacred Ghat at Sultanganj, to bathe a sacred Shiva-linga.
Bihula-Bishari Puja of Anga region also is a great festival of Bihar mainly observed in the Bhagalpur district.
The Sonepur cattle fair, the largest fair in Asia starts approximately half a month after Deepawali and continues for a month. It is held on the banks of the Sone River in the town of Sonepur.
Apart from Chhath, the festivals celebrated in Bihar are Saraswati Puja, Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Ram Navami, Rath yatra, Rakhi, Maha Shivaratri, Durga Puja, Diwali, Laxmi Puja, Christmas, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Chitragupta puja, and several other local festivals as well.
For more information on Great Vacations in Bihar, visit www.greatvacationsindia.com
|
