Chhath Puja: Solar and Lunar Dynamics
| Sanjay Kumar, MBA, BE(Civil Engineering), Masters (Computer’s Engineering), Entrepreneur, Orlando Florida |
Around late October–early November, when the Sun transits Libra–Scorpio and the Moon passes near Antares (Jyeshtha nakshatra). Chhath Puja synchronizes with a period when the Sun’s intensity decreases and the Moon’s proximity to Antares symbolizes restoration and balance.
It’s an elegant fusion of astronomy, Ayurveda, and spirituality — a solar-lunar thanksgiving deeply rooted in ancient environmental wisdom.
This year in 2025 Chhath Puja, observed from October 25 to 28, align with the tropical zodiac’s Scorpio season (Sun in Scorpio from late October), when solar energy reaching Earth is at a seasonal low due to the Northern Hemisphere’s axial tilt, as discussed previously. This reduced insolation and UV exposure can impact human health, particularly for vulnerable groups like newborns, by limiting vitamin D synthesis and immune support—factors that folklore and rituals in Chhath Puja address through invocations for protection and vitality. The festival’s core focus is propitiating the Sun God (Surya) during this “weaker” phase to harness and amplify its life-giving energy for family well-being, prosperity, and especially the health of children and newborns, who are seen as particularly susceptible to seasonal ailments. Legends tie the observance to Surya’s own “birth anniversary” in Kartik month, emphasizing renewal when solar influence wanes, and Vedic astrology links Chhathi Maiya (the festival’s maternal deity) to shielding progeny from diseases. A related postpartum ritual, Chhathi (or Chhathihar), celebrates a newborn’s sixth day with similar blessings for longevity and immunity, underscoring the festival’s protective role for infants amid autumn’s harsher conditions.
Regarding the Moon: While Chhath Puja is predominantly a solar festival, the Moon plays a subtle but symbolic role in its rituals, complementing the Sun’s energy during this transitional period. On the second day (Kharna, October 26 in 2025), devotees break their 24-hour fast only after sighting the rising Moon, an act that signifies balance between solar and lunar forces and invites cooling, nurturing influences to counter the Sun’s seasonal debility. The third night’s vigil (after Sandhya Arghya on October 27) involves staying awake under the stars, singing devotional songs, and performing the Kosi ritual with sugarcane arches and lamps—creating a liminal space where celestial bodies, including the Moon, are contemplated for familial harmony and child welfare. Astrologically, this lunar involvement aligns with Kartik’s waxing phase, amplifying themes of gratitude and healing.
As for the Moon’s passage through Antares (the bright red supergiant star α Scorpii in the heart of Scorpius, also tied to Jyeshtha nakshatra in Vedic astronomy): A lunar occultation of Antares occurred on October 24, 2025—just one day before Chhath Puja began—visible from parts of Asia, including India, where the Moon briefly “hid” the star around 10:35 p.m. local time in eastern regions. This placed the Moon in proximity to Antares during the festival’s onset, with it transiting Jyeshtha’s domain (symbolizing elder wisdom, protection, and transformative trials in Hindu lore) through October 26–27. While no explicit scriptural or folkloric texts directly link Chhath Puja to this specific Antares event, the timing resonates with the festival’s Scorpio-aligned astronomy: The Sun’s “debilitation” in Scorpio (per tropical views) pairs with the Moon’s Scorpio transit near Antares, evoking themes of shadow work, renewal, and maternal safeguarding—mirroring prayers for newborns’ resilience against “hidden” threats like microbial proliferation or vitamin deficiencies in low-UV months. In broader Vedic cosmology, Antares/Jyeshtha governs protective rites for progeny, akin to Chhathi Maiya’s role, suggesting a subtle celestial harmony rather than a prescribed cause for the Moon’s invocation.
So, we can unpack this astronomically and culturally:
1. The Solar Context — Sun in Scorpio (or Libra–Scorpio Transition)
- Chhath Puja occurs six days after Diwali, during Shukla Shashthi tithi (waxing sixth lunar day) in the Hindu month of Kartik, typically late October to mid-November.
- Around this time, the Sun moves from Libra toward Scorpio, where its apparent declination is low — meaning UV radiation is minimal, daylight is shorter, and sunlight appears softer and more reddish.
- Ancient agrarian societies noted that this period marked the onset of winter, when exposure to mild solar rays at sunrise and sunset had therapeutic and immunity-boosting effects — especially for women and newborns after the monsoon season.
- Hence, Chhath involves “Arghya to the setting and rising Sun”, symbolizing harnessing the healing pranic energy of Surya during his gentle phase.
2. The Lunar and Stellar Aspect — Moon near Antares (Jyeshtha / Anuradha)
- The Moon during Chhath Puja typically transits Anuradha or Jyeshtha Nakshatra, close to Antares (Alpha Scorpii) — a bright red star in the heart of Scorpio.
- Occasionally, there’s an occultation of Antares around this time, which would have been a visually striking celestial event in ancient skies.
- The Moon–Antares alignment symbolizes the emotional purification and the feminine principle (Shakti) balancing the intense solar (Surya) energy — hence, Chhath rituals integrate both solar and lunar devotion.
- In many Vedic interpretations, the Sun in Scorpio and Moon near Antares represent rebirth, regeneration, and vitality after decay, echoing the festival’s themes of renewal, gratitude, and fertility.
3. Biophysical Symbolism
- You mentioned UV reduction and newborn health — this is indeed reflected in Ayurvedic reasoning:
- During post-monsoon, skin and immune systems are sensitive.
- Early-morning and evening sunlight has high infrared and low UV, ideal for vitamin D activation without skin damage.
- Chhath’s water-immersion rituals at dawn and dusk help absorb solar prana through skin, balanced by the Moon’s cooling energy.
4. Cultural Integration
- The “Chhathi Maiya” worshiped is said to be Usha (the dawn goddess) — symbolizing the transition from darkness (night/moon) to light (sun), both literal and metaphoric.
- Vedic hymns (Rig Veda 7.81–7.83) honor Usha and Surya together, suggesting that Chhath Puja preserves a very ancient solar-lunar healing rite.
- The sequence of worship — setting sun first, rising sun next — mirrors the dual phases of Scorpio energy: dissolution and regeneration.
We can summaries Chhath Pooja and Cosmic Connection in this way:
| Aspect | Astronomical Basis | Symbolic Meaning |
| Sun | Transition Libra → Scorpio (low UV, reddish hue) | Renewal, healing, vitality |
| Moon | Near Antares (Jyeshtha/Anuradha) | Emotional cleansing, fertility |
| Timing | Post-monsoon, harvest season | Gratitude and balance |
| Water Immersion | Reflects pranic absorption | Physical–spiritual purification |
| Dual Arghya | Setting & rising Sun | End of decay → birth of light |
