Chhath Puja 2017: The Festival Of Health Benefits Is Here!

Chhath Puja is here! One of the most important festivals of the Hindu religion, Chhath Puja is dedicated to worshiping the Sun God and his wife to thank them for supporting life on earth and seek their blessings. The sun is believed to be a healer in Hindu Mythology. Being bestowed with the blessings of the Sun God is believed to take you on a road to prosperity, longevity and well-being. The festival is celebrate with great enthusiasm and awe all over North India and with great fervor in Bihar. This year, the festival will be observed from 24th October till 27th October.
 

People celebrate the festival by following a rigorous routine for four days. Chhath Puja routine includes fasting, abstinence from drinking water, taking holy baths, praying to the rising and setting sun, meditating beside the river and standing there for prolonged hours. The four-day festivity has all the days assigned for a particular religious activity. Like all other traditional practices, Chhath Puja, too, has a lot of health benefits associated with the many rituals of the festival.

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Here are the health benefits of this festival
Photo Credit: NDTV

 To begin with, take a look at the series of rituals of Chhath Puja.

1. The first day is about purifying oneself by taking a holy bath and taking holy water home for preparing the offerings.

2. The second day is when devotees observe a day-long fast and which ends after sunset. After this, the Sun and Moon are worshipped and Kheer, bananas and rice are prepared as offerings. After this, a 36-hour long fast without water is observed.

3. The third day is when the Prasad is prepared and devotees take a holy bath and worship the Sun God and Chhathi Maiyya. This is the main day of the festival when the Sun is offered the Surya Namaskar and fruits.

4. The fourth day is when the morning offerings are made to the Sun God after which devotees break their fast.

As mentioned earlier, the festival of the Sun God is actually the festival of many health benefits too.

Yes, there is science behind this one too! Take a look at the top four health benefits of fasting during Chhath Puja:

Also read: Health Benefits Of Fasting You Didn't Know

1. It triggers insulin secretion

Fasting during Chhath Puja may increase insulin secretion in the body. When you fast for longer periods, the brain sends a signal to increase insulin level in the body. As a result, insulin absorbs glucose in blood more effectively.

2. Fasting is a way to recharge your immune system

Fasting is actually a way to give your digestive system a break and flush out toxins from your body. Older cells die and new cells take place instead. As a result longevity is increased.

3. Metabolism improved

Your body metabolism gets improved as a result of fasting. Digestion is improved and bowel movements are regulated.

4. Fasting helps keep Alzheimer's at bay

This may sound strange how fasting can affect the possibility of getting Alzheimer's. Turns out, fasting has a considerable impact on the same. Fasting produces protein in the brain which keeps Alzheimer's at bay.

5. Lose weight with fasting

Unavailability of glucose in blood triggers the body to burn excess fat stored in the body. Only the required amount of energy for carrying out daily activities is stored in the body.

Also read: Here's How You Can Lose Weight Without Exercising

Other than these benefits of fasting, there are a number of health benefits of Sun Worship. We all know how much our body needs Vitamin D. Worshipping the sun during this period is directly linked to the absorption of Vitamin D from the rays of the sun. All food consumed during this period is high in calcium, natural calcium, which requires vitamin D for proper absorption.

However, fasting during Chhath Puja is not for everyone. People with compromised kidneys and women with medical conditions like blood pressure and diabetes should refrain from fasting during this period. Moreover, pregnant or lactating women should also avoid fasting.

Happy Chhath Puja!