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| Chhath Pooja Malaysia 2025 |
Every living day is a learning experience. Learnt something new again today that just shoots down the arbitrary cultural divide between the northern and southern regions of India.
I have known about Kantha Sashti my entire life. Just like how Deepavali/Diwali is celebrated to remind us of the eternal victory of good over evil, whether it is Rama and his entourage's return to Ayodhyā or to fete Krishna's slaying of the demon king, Narasvara, Kantha Sashti is observed to remind us of Skanda's preparation, strategisation and subsequent defeating the demon Surapatman. It is celebrated after Deepavali, in the month of Aipasi/Karthik corresponding to October/November in the Gregorian calendar, usually within the week of Deepavali. The fast lasts six days, usually starting on or a day after Deepavali and ending on the sixth day of the waning moon.
Now, I have discovered that this sixth day of the waning phase of the month is also an important day for Hindus across Bihar, Jharkhand, the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Nepal. It is the day to pay respects to Surya, the Sun God and Chhata Maiya, the sixth form of Prakriti, the primary substance of anything. (Contrasted to Purusha, which is awareness). In the regions mentioned above, this Pooja holds an even more significant part in the hearts of Hindus than Diwali.
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| Lord Murugan @ Skanda |
There seems to be a particular fixation with the number six and the Sun God in both these celebrations, even though they are celebrated in regions quite poles apart. The climax of both celebrations is on the sixth day. Lord Muruga was born as six babies to be nursed by six Krittikas, celestial nursemaids.
Now, Chhath is called Chhath (six in Sanskrit) because it refers to the sixth day of the waning moon. Sashthi in Skanda Sashthi refers to the same number six as an aberration of Chhat.
Just as Chhath Puja is a celebration to show homage to the Sun for its innumerable contributions to life on Earth, Skanda Sashti has its connections to the Sun too. The seed of life that emanated from Shiva was so powerful that it had to be transported by Agni, the Fire God, a representation of the Sun God himself. This powerful flash of life split into six babies, to be cared for by six Krittikas, the cluster of stars corresponding to the Pleiades in Western astronomy. In Hindu astrology, the Krittikas are ruled by the Sun.
The more we try to say we are different, the more we realise we are all the same. One fasts up North to show gratitude to Nature, and another down South to prepare oneself to face the contemporary challenges of the world. Coincidentally, both celebrations happen on the sixth day of the waning moon just after Deepavali. It must be more than a sheer coincidence!
