Sakat Chauth with Vrat Katha
Sakat chauth festival mostly celebrated in North India during Magh month according to Hindu Calendar. Sakat or Sankat Chauth is observed mainly in North Indian states. Sakat Chauth is dedicated to Goddess Sakat and women observe fasting on the very same day for well-being of their sons. The legend of Sakat Chauth describes compassionate nature of Goddess Sakat.
On this day, til ladoos is prepared and five ladoos are offered to Godess, and Lord Ganesh, one ladoo to the moon. In the evening, like you do for any Vrat, make a Mandap and place a photo of Lord Ganesh and Mata Sakat Chauth. Decorate the photo of Lord Ganesh and maa sakat Chauth with available flowers.
Offer Durva ( Doorva means grass )with 3 or 5 nodes to the Lord Ganesh and keep some Doorva Grass aside to worship the Moon.Light Diyaa (lamp) and Agarbattee (incense stick) and Offer til ke Ladoo , Sweet Potato, Jaggery. Now you should be tell or hear a vrat katha and then song Arati. After this the moon should be worshiped with Til laddoo, and Arghya (Offeringby milk and water mixture). Moon-god and Rohini are also worshipped. At night, after the moon rise, the fast is broken after offering the moon, the sacred water called “Arghya”.
Vrat katha :- Long time ago there was a potter in a village. He used to make nice clay pots and used to harden them in the kiln. One year when the potter kept utensils in the kiln, the fire was not able to ripen the pots. Clay pots were not ripened even after repeated attempts. At last the potter approached the king for the help. After hearing the plight of the potter the king consulted royal Pandit (also known as Rajpurohit) and asked for some solution of this strange phenomenon. Rajpurohit suggested offering Bali of a child each time kiln is prepared for utensils.After listening to Rajpurohit, King decreed that each family should offer one child whenever kiln is prepared. All families, one by one, started giving one of the children to obey decree of the king.After some days it was turn of an old woman who had only one son. It was day of Sakat Chauth. The old woman had only one son in the family to support her in old days. The order of the king could not be disobeyed. The old woman feared that on auspicious day of Sakat her only child would be killed.
The old woman, an ardent devotee of Goddess Sakat, gave her only son Betal nut of Sakat and “Dub Ka Beeda” as symbolic cover of protection. The old lady suggested her son to pray Goddess Sakat while in kiln and assured him that these items with the grace of Goddess Sakat would protect him from the fire of kiln.The child was made to sit in kiln. At the same time old woman started worshipping Goddess Sakat to protect the life of her only son. The kiln was lit and left to get prepared for coming days.
Due to grace of Goddess Sakat, the kiln which used to take many days to ripen was prepared within one night. Next day in the morning when potter came to inspect the kiln, he was astonished to see it. He found not only the son of old woman safe and alive but also other children who were offered before to prepare kiln were also alive.After this incident all city folks accepted power and compassionate nature of Goddess Sakat. City folks also praised the boy and his mother for their devotion and trust to Goddess Sakat. The day of Sakat Chauth is to commemorate the gratitude of Goddess Sakat. Mothers worship Goddess Sakat and pray to save their children from any untoward incidents.