chath puja se juri kathaen chath mahaparva bihar ke ganga kshetra arthat magadh se aranbh hua. suryashashthi vrat ke vishay men devbhagvtpuran men varnan milta hai. iske anusar, raja priyavrat svayubhush muni ke putra the. unki koi santan nahin thi. vivah ke lanbe antral ke bad ek putra utpann hua, lekin vah mara hua paida hua. raja apne navjat putra ke shav ko lekar shmashan bhumi pahunche aur vahan vilap karne lage. unke vilap ko sunakar vahan se gujar rahi ek devi ruki aur rajan se is bare men pucha. raja ki vyatha janakar us devi ne kaha ki main brahma ji ki putri devsena hun. mera vivah gauri-shankar ke putra kartikey se hua hai. main sabhi matrikaon men vikhyat skandh patni hun.
itna kah devsena ne raja ke mrit putra ko jivit kar diya aur tatpashchat antadhryan ho gain. yah ghatna shukla paksh ki shashthi ke din ki hai, atah isi din se shashthi devi ki puja hone lagi. surya ki aradhna ka yah parva chath puja ke nam se vikhyat ho gaya. chath mahaparva ki dusri katha skandh ke janm se juri hai. is katha ke anusar, ganga ne ek skandhakar balak ko janm diya aur use sarkande ke van men rakh diya. us van men chah kartikaen nivas karti thin. un sabne skandh ka laln-palan kiya. isi skandh ka nam kartikey para. ye chahon kartikaen kartikey ki shashth mataen kahlain. inhen hi chath mata ya chathi maiya kahte hain. yah ghatna jis mah men ghatit hui us mah ka nam kartik para. prachin men yah vrat skandh shashthi ke nam se vikhyat tha. chath mahaparva ki tisri katha bhi kartikey se hi juri hai.
is katha ke anusar, asuron ke nash ke lie devataon ne parvati v bhagvan shankar ke putra kartikey ko apna senapti chuna tha. mata parvati ne apne putra ke vijyi kamna ke lie astachal surya ko aghrya dekar pujan kiya aur nirjala vrat dharan kiya. kartikey ke vijyi hokar lautne par unhonne udyachal surya ko jal evan dudh se aghrya dekar apna vrat tora tha. bihar men kaise aranbh hui chath puja japan se lekar prachin yunan tak men surya ki puja ka praman milta hai. ugte suraj ke desh japan ke log khud ko surya putra kahte hain to yunan men hiliyas nam se surya ki puja hoti hai. bharat men surya mandiron ka nirman pahli sadi se aranbh hua hai. us samay yahan farsi ae the. usi kal men iran se mag jatiyan ain aur ve magadh men basin. unhin jatiyon ne magadh men surya ki upasna aranbh ki. is aitihasik sandarbh ke atirikt pauranik sandarbh men kaha jata hai ki bhagvan shrikrishn ke putra shanb ne surya dhamon ka nirman karaya tha.
shanb kushth rogi tha. kushth se mukti ke lie shanb ne 12 mah men 12 jaghon par surya upasna kendra aur usse lage talab ka nirman karaya tha. yatha- devark, lolark, ulark, konark, puvyark, anjark, pandark, vedark, markandeyark, darshanark, balark v chanark. shanb inhin surya upasna kendron men puja archana kar v usse lage talab men snan kar kushth rog se mukt hua tha. aj bhi chath mahaparva karne valon ki astha hai ki chath maiya ke pratap se kushth rogi nirog ho jata hai. char dinon ka mahaparva char dinon tak chalne vala yah mahaparva behad astha, nishtha v pavitrata ke sath manaya jata hai. chath ka pratham din chaturthi ko nahay-khay se shuru hota hai. is din vrati nahane ke bad arva chaval ke bhat, chane ki dal, kaddu ki sabji ka bhojan karti hain. pyaj-lahsun khane ki manahi hoti hai. agle din panchmi ko kharna hota hai, jismen vrati din bhar upvas kar sham ko chandrama dubne se purva snan kar, lakri ke chulhe par gur ki khir v roti banakar puja kar prasad grahan karti hain.
is vakt parivar ke sabhi sadasyon ka rahna anivarya hota hai. shashthi ko vrati sare din anna-jal ka tyag kar snan adi karne ke bad prasad banati hain. ismen vishesh kar thekua mukhya hota hai. sham ko jalasrot men dhyanamagn khari hokar surya ko aghrya deti hain. tatpashchat dubte surya ko aghrya dete hue vrati prasad lekar hath uthati hain. prasad men thekua ke alava sabhi tarah ke fal, ganna, danthal yukt haldi-muli, mithai adi hote hanai. mannat ke anusar, mitti ka hathi v kurva lekar bhi hath uthaya jata hai. sup v daura bhi mannat ke anusar hi tay hota hai. rat men ghat par dip jalaya jata hai. agle din subah saptami ko udyachal surya ko aghrya dekar vrat samapt kiya jata hai. bihar men is avasar par vrati v unke parijan dvara bare sundar lokgit gae jate hain jismen shashthi mata v surya devta ka stutigan hota hai. vrat ke samapan par prasad ka vitaran hota hai.