Travel Back Home With Ease This Chhath Puja 2024

Chhat Puja, is an ancient Hindu festival that celebrates the perennial presence of the sun the Lord Surya as well as the Goddess Chhathi Maiya. As per tradition, the festival is generally a 4-day long ritual, which comprises a few spiritualistic activities such as the Holy Bathing, Nirjal Vrat, offering prayers to the sun and spreading happiness with sweets. As per the sacred Hindu calendar, Chhath falls on the 6th day of the month of Kartik, this is also known as  Kartik Shukla Shasthi. This year (2024) the Chhath Puja would be celebrated on 5th November ( Tuesday).

During the puja, devotees embark on their journey to the riverbanks as a gesture of respect and profound admiration for the goddess. The celebration brings people closer to nature through sacred dips in holy rivers, rigorous fasting, being in water while praying, and offering spiritual prayers to the rising and setting sun.

Diwali and Chhath puja always befalls within the period of a week and hence this for devotees is the perfect time for a long weekend trip back home from metropolitan cities. Here we have a few ways through which you can easily reach back home to Patna or Bihar through railways and Busses.

Chhath Puja 2024 Special Trains Schedule

Considering the popularity of the festival as well as the quantum of devotes that travel back and forth to Bihar on the occasion Indian Railways always announces several special trains for the occasion.  The comfort and the well-established connectivity of trains through different cities make it one of the most used modes of travel. Last year Indian Railways had scheduled around 283 trains on the occasion. Here is a schedule of a few of the trains expected to run in 20204 during the Chhath Season.

Since These are Special Trains, They Only Run Between Patna Junction - Anand Vihar-Patna Junction.

Train No 03256: Anand Vihar Terminal – Patna Junction ( Super Fast )

Anand Vihar Terminal to Patna Junction. The train would be available on 24 November to 11 December 2023. This train would be available on every Friday and Monday.  The train would depart from Patna Junction at 11:30. The arrival in Patna Junction at 5:20 pm.

Train No 03255, Patna Jn – Anand Vihar Terminal super fast.

Patna Junction to Anand Vihar Terminal: 23 November to 10 December 2023. The train is in operation on every Thursday and Sunday. Departure of the train from Patna junction would be around 10:20pm. Arrival of the train in Anand Vihar would be around 11:30 pm.

Train No 02391: Patna Jn – Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Special Train

Patna Junction to Anand Vihar Terminal, the train would be available from 25 November to 9 December 2023 on every Saturday of the week. Departure of the train from Patna would be around 10:20 pm. And the arrival in Anand Vihar Terminal would be at 3 pm the next day.

Train Number 2392: Anand Vihar Terminal – Patna Jn Super fast special Train

Anand Vihar Terminal to Patna Junction 26 Nov to 10 Dec on every Sunday. Departure from Anand Vihar Terminal would be at around 11:30. Arrival in Patna Junction of the train would be around 5:20 pm.

For travellers planning to travel through Gaya.

Following are the trains for your travelling spree to Bihar during Chhath Puja

Train Number 03635: Gaya – Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Special Train

Gaya to Anand Vihar Terminal: the train does a run on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Train would depart from Gaya at around 2:15 pm. Arrival in Anand Vihar the next day would be around 5 Am.  The train does a run on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Train Number 03636: Anand Vihar Terminal – Gaya Superfast Special Train

Anand Vihar Terminal to Gaya, the train will be operational from 21 November to 9 December 2023, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of the week. The train departure from Anand Vihar Terminal would be around 7 am and the arrival in Gaya would be at 8:45 pm the very next day.

Jaynagar – Anand Vihar Terminal – Jaynagar

The following are the special train schedules for the routes Jaynagar – Anand Vihar Terminal – Jaynagar:

Train Number 05557: Jaynagar – Anand Vihar Terminal Special Train

Jayanagar to Anand Vihar Terminal: This train will be operational from 21 November to 5 December 2023 every Tuesday. Departure from Jayanagar would be around 6:00 am. Arrival in Anand Vihar the next day would be around 5:00 AM.

Train Number 05558: Anand Vihar Terminal – Jaynagar Special Train

Anand Vihar Terminal to Jaynagar:  This train would be operational around only 22 November to 6 December 2023 on every Wednesday. The train departure from Anand Vihar Terminal would be around 7:30and arrival in Jaynagar would be at 6:30 am.

For Passengers Planning to Travel by Bus

Baliyan, Banaras Patna

For those planning to travel by busses, you would be able to board busses predominantly for Baliyan, Banaras and Patna.  All of these buses would take anywhere from 16 to 20 hours to reach Bihar.  In case you fail to board such busses you can take busses that lead to Banaras and from there you can easily travel to Bihar easily via train or busses.

In most cases, the two of the most prominent locations from where you can catch busses in Delhi to Bihar would be Anand Vihar ISBT and Kashmiri Gate Bus Stand. In case you fail to use any of the above-mentioned ways to travel you can always rent vehicles through RenTrip for your round trip to Bihar. At RenTrip we provide the most accessible and affordable self-drive vehicles on rent. Rent Today and enjoy the benefits of having a personal vehicle at a fraction of the cost of the vehicle.

Chhat Puja Dates 2024:

The four days that Chhath puja lasts, every day is denoted with special attributes and ceremonies. Here is a description of the same.

Nahaay Khaay/ Kharna  – 5th  November  2024

On the very first day of Chhath puja initiation, devotees take a dip into the holy water this ceremonial dip is supposed to be a cleansing purge to rid you of any kinds of bad omens.  Apart from such a bath devotes also clean their house and the path that leads from their home to the nearby ghats. On this day, there is a special cuisine called Satvik Lauka Bhaat. This cuisine is then offered to the Deity right at the beginning of the festival. This satvik meal is supposed to be all cleansing and promotes humility and positivity.

Sanjh ka Arag – 7th  November 2024

On this second day of the ceremony, people prepare sacred offerings for the goddess, in most houses devotes prepare a Bamboo Basket adorned with fruits, thekua and rice laddus. As the evening descends, the whole household accompanies the devotees to a water body nearby for the Arghya ritual in which the prayers are offered to the setting sun. Devotees and onlookers join in eagerly to seek blessing from the Worshipper.

On the last day of the ceremony before sunrise devotees head to the riverbank to offer the final ceremonial prayers to the rising sun. following this they take blessings of Chatti Maiya for the well-being and happiness of the families. After this day the fast is broken by having water and consuming prasad, known as Paran.

As per popular belief, it has been a profound maxim that Chhath Puja is one of the oldest festivals. As per ancient scriptures, Ancient Veda and the Rigveda contain hymns of worshipping the sun and certain similar rituals that are considered to have been older than the Veda’s themselves. Rituals similar to that of Chath puja have also been mentioned in the epic of Mahabharata.  As per popular belief, the Pandavas were advised by an astute sage named Dhaumya. pandava, as well as Draupadi, followed the Vedic rituals, and it helped the Pandavas regain control over their Kingdom and helped Draupadi as well.

As per Vedic scriptures and older religious texts, it has been believed that the rishi’s and sages of yore used these techniques to remain without food and used the techniques of Chhath to absorb energy from the sun.

Chhath Puja in the Present Times

In the present times, the occasion is mainly celebrated in India and Nepal,  mainly in states like Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhesh region in Nepal. The puja is primarily known for its ideal value of worshipping no idols or gods, it’s a righteous worship of the sun for its prosperous gaze upon humans kind, as per the rituals and ongoing maxims it has been believed that in the prayers of Chhath Puja are directed towards sun as well as his wife Usha as an acknowledgement of their support to humankind. Beyond this, the festival is also known for bringing people together as a particular class of Muslims also celebrate Chhath Puja.  Although the rituals that are followed through are age-old, they have been set up in such a manner that they cause no harm to the environment.  Since primarily there is no idol worship so there is no use of plastic, artificial colours, immersion of plastics or any other materials that might cause sustainability issues. It's, of course, an aspect of wonder that rituals that were formed out of beliefs and rituals of the period of yore complement the present aspects of the environment so well. This is one of the prime reasons why this festival has been regarded as one of the best festivals as per environmentalists.

The Science Behind Praying During the Early Morning Hours and During Evenings

While some devotees might follow these rituals because they have been doing so for years and years but there's a hidden meaning and significance behind these.  These times, whenever they must have been decided,are decided based upon the fact that U.V. rays are at their least prowess during sunrise and sunset. As per older beliefs,  sunrays during sunrise helped increase the productivity of the body and also supported the detoxification of mind, body, and soul by removing all negative energies.

No To an Idol Worship

Out of quite a lot of Hindu festivals, this has to be the only festival that celebrates the importance and significance of the sun in our lives. There is no Murti puja or idol-worshipping. In Essence, it's a celebration of God's will and the natural features of the environment. Chhath puja is just a celebration of the way of life nad the importance of the Sun as a perennial source of power and glory. 

Do’s and Don’Ts of Chhath Puja

Do’s

• During the time period of chhath puja its imperative that you take a bath daily before getting involved in any kind of celebration or ritual.
• Wash your hands and then only would you be allowed to touch and use the belongings of the Puja.
• Before making prasad for distribution amongst the devotees its imperative that you wash your hands and feet’s rigorously.
• During the day of the puja devotees are supposed to take a bath during the Sandhya or the Bhorwa Ghat, and accompany their family and friends to the banks of the river where the puja would be celebrated.
• Worship the sun and take the blessings of the elders.

Don’ts

• Don’t touch anything that is necessary for the puja of chhath without washing up or taking a bath.
• Its prohibited according to the orthodox rules of the puja to touch anything that is salty while making up prasad.
• Non-vegetarian foods are strictly prohibited.
• Do not drink or smoke during the times of the puja.
• It’s a profound belief that the chhath puja is conducted in the most sanctimonious manner and then only would this puja be able to help you prosper and give you good health to move ahead in life.
• These rules have been constructed over the years and if you plan to celebrate in the most orthodox manner, you would have to follow these.

Every year thousands of pilgrims travel back to their ancestral homes in Bihar or other parts of the country to celebrate Chhath Puja. for the reader's convenience we have enlisted a few ways through which you can easily reach back home for the celebration. Since the festival is of high importance in Indian culture its only evident that during the time of chhath the busses and trains that lead back to Bihar would be crowded, you can skip all such hassles and book a self-drive vehicle from RenTrip and drive as per your will, embrace the freedom of self drive vehicles today with RenTrip.