India is home to various cultural and religious festivals. Just six days after Raksha Bandhan or Shravan Purnima, the Hindus in India celebrate Har Chhath or Hal Sashti vrat. It is observed on the shashti or the 6th day of Krishna Paksha (the waning phase of moon) during the month of Bhadrapada in the traditional Hindu calendar. An important festival in the traditional Hindu calendar, Hal Sashti is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Lord Balaram, who is an elder brother of Shri Krishna.
The festival celebrating Lord Balaram’s birth has different names in different parts of India. In Rajasthan it is known as Chandra Sashti, while in Gujarat it is known as Randhan Chhath and in Braj region it is called Baladev Chhath. The seventh child of Mata Devaki and Vasudev Ji, Lord Balaram is also worshipped as an avatar of Adhishesha, the serpent on which Lord Vishnu rests.
Date and Time
Known with different names such as Har Chhath, Balaram Jayanti, Lalahi Chhath, Baladeva Chhath, Randhan Chhath, Har Chhath, Chandan Chhath, Tin Chhathi and Tinni Chhath, among others, Hal Sashti will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 21. The sasthi tithi will begin at 5.30 am on August 21, 2019 and will end on 7.06 am on August 22, 2019.
Significance
Lord Balaram is known by various different names, such as Halayudha, Baladeva and Balabhadra. As pestle and shovel were considered to be the main tools of Lord Balaram, the Hindu devotees belonging to farming community worship these tools on this day for a bountiful harvest. On the other hand, women observe the fast to be blessed with a child and also for the well-being of their children.
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