Asian Photography — November 2017

NOVEMBER 2017 23

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Exif Info:

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Shutter Speed: 1/800 sec

Aperture value: f/4.0

ISO: 640

Focal Length: 70.0 mm

month.
Chhath Puja is said to be one of
the most ancient Hindu festivals ever
surviving on earth, and is referred to as
the only Vedic festival celebrated in India.
Chhath is a festival which is performed
as thanksgiving to ‘Surya’, the Sun God
for sustaining life on earth and granting
health, prosperity and abundance.
According to Hindu traditions, the Sun

god ‘Surya’ is the supreme deity which

represents will-power, fame, the eyes,

general vitality, courage and kingship.

Unlike other Hindu Pujas which involve

worshiping of idols, this festival is

dedicated to worshiping a natural

phenomenon, the Sun, which is in fact

the source of life of our planet.

Chhath Puja has a great signifi cance

in the Hindu religion and it is assumed that

the oldest Purohits who were requested

by the kings to come and perform the

traditional puja of the Lord Sun. They

chant the ancient ‘Rig-veda’ texts and a

variety of hymns for worshiping the Sun.

It is believed that Surya Putra Karna

was the fi rst to start this puja during

the Mahabharata period. According to

the legends, Karna, son of Surya and

ruler of Anga-Desh (now Bhagalpur in

photo: Abhishek DesAi