On the shortest day of the year, Eileen McDougall recalls a life-affirming journey to southern Nepal to witness the annual honouring of the sun diety Surya during the Chhath festival
Sitting on a straw mat on the bank of the pokhari, Rita Kumari Mandal, my friend’s mother, explained the importance of Chhath. “In ancient times, there was a king, called King Pribat who had only one son,” she told me. “But the son died and the king took his body to the river to burn. The deities of the river advised the king to pray to Surya and after this his son came back to life. So, we believe that by doing this puja our children will remain safe.
While not a festival strictly for women, it tends to be mainly women that take part . Here, a sole man is a lone dot of white in the pokhari among the strong colours of the saris. Mandal also explained that the king decided to make simple offerings, such as fruit and bamboo baskets, to make the ritual accessible to all castes. “Nowadays, everyone still does the puja in the same river, with the same offerings. And on the days of Chhath we sit together on the same riverbank,” she explained.
The women were now facing the east, and into Surya’s warm rays that were piercing the foliage. Again, many women were already standing in the pokhari; Rupesh told me they had a “big wish” to ask of Surya and had to stand in the water continuously for many hours before the start of the puja.
The Terai mist that had been lingering just above the ground began to clear as the women and their families packed the offerings into large wicker baskets and placed them on top of their heads. Each group formed a line and slowly made its way towards the village. It was time for the women to break with their fast with some fruit and sweets, and then, finally, sleep.Connecting flights to Kathmandu are available via hubs such as Istanbul, Delhi and Dubai.
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