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35-527: Angika (also known as Anga , Angikar or Chhika-Chhiki ) is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in some parts of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand , as well as in parts of Nepal. Angika is closely related to neighbouring Indic languages such as Maithili , Bengali , Bhojpuri and Magahi . Historically it was written in a separate script known as ' Anga Lipi '. Later writers shifted to Kaithi Script and eventually to Devanagari Script . Angika

70-468: A vrata ), standing in water, and offering prasada (prayer offerings) and arghya to the rising and setting of the Sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head towards the riverbanks. All devotees prepare similar prasada (religious food) and offerings. Environmentalists have claimed that the festival of Chhath is one of the most eco-friendly religious festivals. Although

105-454: A yajna . Shortly after, a son was born to Queen Malini; however, the baby was born dead. Following the stillbirth, the king and his family were heartbroken. Finding sympathy for the royal family, Mata Shashthi revealed herself in the sky. When the king prayed to her, she spoke, saying: "I am Chhathi Maiya the sixth form of Prakriti . I protect all the children of the world and give the blessings of children to all childless parents." After this,

140-572: A boulder in the middle of the Ganges in Munger, is the main center of public faith regarding Chhath festival. It is believed that goddess Sita performed Chhath festival in Munger. That is why Chhath Mahaparva is celebrated with great pomp in Munger . According to another legend, King Priyavrata, son of first Manu Svayambhu , was unhappy because he had no children. To remedy this, Kashyapa asked him to do

175-578: A dialect of Maithili. People from mainly Maithil Brahmins and Karan Kayasthas castes have supported the Maithili movement, while people from various other castes in the Mithila region have projected Angika and Bajjika as their mother tongues, attempting to break away from the Maithili-based regional identity. Angika is not listed in the 8th schedule of the constitution of India . Angika has

210-549: A famous folk singer of Bihar has covered more than 1500 songs in all Bihari languages including Angika. During The 2023 Shravani Mela visit in Sultanganj , Another Angika Folk-Singer Chhaila Bihari stated that he will fight for the rights of Angika folksingers who are not getting the respect and platform that they deserve. Ang Mahotsav , a cultural festival of Music and Drama is held every year in The Anga Region and

245-612: A festival dedicated to Goddess Bishari that is celebrated in Bhagalpur , Munger and entire Anga Region of Bihar, India. Music and drama plays a crucial role in Ang Culture, although it is not so famous but is a daily part of lifestyle in Anga Region. There is also a Music Industry and film industry Angika Music Industry and Angika Film Industry which provides regional music and films based on good story-lines. Sharda Sinha ,

280-498: A mandap and beneath the shade of that mandap, 12 to 24 Diya lamps are burnt and thekua and other seasonal fruits are offered. The same ritual is repeated the next morning between 3 am and 4 am, and afterward the devotees offer arghya or other offerings to the rising sun. On the last day of Chhath Puja, at dawn, worshippers travel to the riverbank to offer an arghya to the rising sun. After making this holy offering, parents pray to Chhatti Maiya for their child's protection as well as

315-405: A son on the sixth day of Kartika. Surya is also called Aditya because he is the son of Aditi. For this reason, Chhath Puja is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Surya and the month of Kartika is considered a holy month throughout the year. In Munger region, the festival is known for its association with Sita Manpatthar ( Sita Charan ; lit . Sita's footsteps). Sitacharan temple, situated on

350-618: Is a folk festival that lasts four days. It starts with Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and ends with Kartik Shukla Saptami. Chhath is celebrated twice in a year. This is the first day of Chhath Puja. The Parvaitin ( transl.  devotees , from Sanskrit parva , meaning "occasion" or "festival") must take a holy bath, after which the entire house, its surroundings, and pathways to the Ghat are thoroughly cleaned. The Parvaitin usually cooks Sattvik Lauka Bhaat (bottle gourd and Bengal gram lentil preparation with Arva rice bhaat). This preparation

385-802: Is a good platform to promote Angika. Eastern Indo-Aryan language The exact scope of the Eastern branch of the Indo-Aryan languages is controversial. All scholars agree about a kernel that includes the Odia cluster and the Bengali–Assamese languages , while many also include the Bihari languages . The widest scope was proposed by Suniti Kumar Chatterji who included the Eastern Hindi varieties, but this has not been widely accepted. When

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420-410: Is not a gender-specific festival. The parvaitin pray for the well-being of their family, and for the prosperity of their children. In some communities, once a family member starts performing Chhath Puja, they are duty-bound to perform it every year and to pass it on to the following generations. The festival is skipped only if there is a death in the family that year. If the person stops performing

455-507: Is regarded as Goddess of Serpants. Even today, the tradition of Manasa (Bihula-Vishhari) Puja, which has been going on since mythological times, continues. Mata Mansa is worshiped in Bihula-Vishhari. Maa Mansa is said to be the daughter of Shiva and the sister of Vasuki sitting as a garland around Mahadev's neck. Mythological beliefs of Bihula Vishhari story of Champanagar of Ang Pradesh are spread everywhere. Its facts are also found in

490-605: Is served to the deity in the afternoon as Bhog. This initiates the Parv and is the last meal of the Parvaitin during Chhath Puja. The food is then eaten to protect the mind from thoughts of vengeance. Kharna, also known as Rasiaav-Roti or Lohanda, is the second day of Chhath Puja. On this day, the devotees do not drink even a single drop of water as offer to worship . In the evening, they eat gur ke kheer ( Kheer made up of jaggery), called Rasiaav, together with Roti . This day

525-534: Is spent preparing the prasada (offerings) at home, often consisting of a bamboo basket decorated with fruits, Thekua and rice laddus . On the eve of this day, the entire household accompany the devotee to a riverbank, pond, or other large body of water to make the Arghya offerings to the setting sun. The occasion can in many ways resemble a carnival. Besides the devotees and their friends and family, numerous participants and onlookers are all willing to help and receive

560-568: Is spoken is popularly known as Anga , Ang Pradesh and Angika-Belt . Apart from Bihar and Jharkhand states of India, it is also spoken in the Morang district of Nepalese Terai as a minority language. 1.9% people of Morang returned Angika as their mother tongue during the 2011 Nepal census . Festivals are the core part cultural part of the community. Anga celebrates the festivals of all daith with great enthusiasm and zeal. However, Manasa Puja (Based on Behula Vishahari folklore) and Kali Puja are

595-742: Is worshipped on the Chhath festival, which is also mentioned in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana . It is said that the Chhath Puja was started in the holy city of Varanasi by Gahadavala dynasty . According to the Kashi Khanda , after Banaras the trend of Chhath Puja started increasing in the country. It is also believed that, there was an ashram of the rishi Kashyapa and Aditi in the Buxar region. Mata Aditi gave birth to Surya as

630-533: The 1960s and the 1970s, when the Maithili speakers demanded a separate Mithila state, the Angika and Bajjika speakers made counter-demands for recognition of their languages. Maithili proponents believe that the Government of Bihar and the pro-Hindi Bihar Rashtrabhasha Parishad promoted Angika and Bajjika as distinct languages to weaken the Maithili language movement; many of them still consider Angika to be

665-563: The Bihari languages are included, the Eastern Indo-Aryan languages fall into four language groups in two broader categories: Grammatical features of the Eastern Indo-Aryan languages: Eastern Indo-Aryan languages display many morphosyntactic features similar to those of Munda languages , while western Indo-Aryan languages do not. It is suggested that "pre-Munda" ("proto-" in regular terminology) languages may have once dominated

700-531: The blessings of the worshipper. At the time of arghya , Gangajal water is offered to Surya and the Chhathi Maiya is worshipped with the prasada . After the worship of Sun God, Chhath songs are sung in the night and the Vrat katha is read. After returning home the devotees perform the ritual of kosi bharai together with the other family members. They take 5 to 7 sugarcanes and tie them together to form

735-524: The diaspora actively participates in celebrating Chhath, preserving their cultural heritage. The festival is also celebrated in countries like the USA , Australia , Singapore , UAE , Canada , Mauritius , Japan , UK , etc., by the diaspora. During Chhath Puja , prayers are dedicated to the solar deity , Surya : to show gratitude for bestowing the bounties of life on Earth and to request that certain wishes be granted. Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata),

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770-671: The eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain , and were then absorbed by Indo-Aryan languages at an early date as Indo-Aryan spread east. Chhath Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival, native to eastern India and southern Nepal . It is celebrated especially in the Indian states of Bihar , Jharkhand , and Eastern Uttar Pradesh; and the Nepalese Autonomous provinces of Koshi , Lumbini , and Madhesh . In major Indian and Nepalese urban centres like Delhi , Mumbai , Kolkata , Hyderabad , Chennai , Kathmandu , etc.,

805-739: The festival is observed most widely in Nepal and some Indian states, it is also prevalent in areas where the diaspora and migration from those areas have a presence. Chhath puja is dedicated to the Sun God Surya , as it is thought that the sun is visible to every being and is the basis of life of all creatures on Earth. Along with the Sun God, Chhathi Maiya is also worshipped on this day. According to Vedic astrology , Chhathi Maiya (or Chhathi Mata) grants children long life and good health by shielding them from illnesses and diseases. Chhath Puja

840-525: The goddess blessed the lifeless child with her hands, so that he came to life. The king was very thankful for the grace of the Goddess and he worshipped the goddess Shashthi Devi. It is believed that after this puja, this festival became a worldwide celebration. Chhath has been mentioned in both the major Indian epics. In Ramayana , when Rama and Sita returned to Ayodhya , people celebrated Deepavali , and on its sixth day Ramarajya ( lit . Kingdom of Rama)

875-546: The happiness and peace of their whole family. After worship, followers participate in the Paran or Parana rite, breaking their fast with a small amount of prasada and water. This rite emphasises the connection between family well-being and divine favours , serving as a symbol of thanksgiving and spiritual closure. The main worshippers, called parvaitin (from Sanskrit parv , meaning "occasion" or "festival"), are usually women. However, men also observe this festival as Chhath

910-503: The puja with mantras from Rigveda . It is believed that Chhath Puja was also performed by Karna , the son of Lord Surya and the King of Anga . It is therefore celebrated in every region of Bihar with full enthusiasm and is termed as Mahaparv for Biharis .It is very popular festival in the Anga region Angika cuisine is predominantly consumed in the Anga region, and is characterised by

945-669: The purity of the food. In Champaran, Bihar and Madhesh Province, Nepal , it is a belief that after leaving Ayodhya , Sita stayed in Valmiki Ashram located on the edge of Narayani River in Chitwan district . During that time she celebrated Chhath Mahaparva in Nepal. Even today, people celebrate Chhath festival with great pomp at Luv-Kush Ghat on the banks of Gandaki river located in Indo-Nepal border. The Chhathi Maiya

980-424: The remains of Vikramshila even two historical idols of Maa Manasa have been found from the ruins. Anga is famous for the way of its Kali Puja Celebration which is one of the most celebrated festivals of the whole region. Together with Manasa Puja, it is intangible cultural heritage festival of Anga . As per Legends, Chhath Puja stems from the early Vedic period , where sages would fast for days and perform

1015-414: The ritual on any particular year, it stops permanently and one cannot resume it. In other communities, this is not mandatory. The prasada offerings include Thekua , Khajuria, Tikri, Kasar and fruits (mainly sugar canes, sweet lime, coconut, banana and many seasonal fruits) offered in small bamboo baskets. The food is strictly vegetarian and is cooked without salt, onions or garlic. Emphasis is on maintaining

1050-494: The sixth form of Prakriti and Surya's sister, is worshipped during the festival. It is celebrated six days after Deepavali , or Tihar , on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika (October or November) in the Hindu calendar ( Vikram Samvat ), and hence why it is called Surya Shashti Vrata. The rituals are observed over three nights and four days. They include holy bathing, fasting , and abstaining from drinking water (as

1085-508: The status of "Second State language" in the Indian state of Jharkhand since 2018. It shares this status with 15 other languages, including Maithili. Angika is mainly spoken in south-eastern Bihar , including most of Munger , the whole of Bhagalpur division and some south eastern parts of Purnia division along with the Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand . Its speakers number around 15 million people. The region where Angika

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1120-398: The two intangible cultural heritage of the region. Apart from these, Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Chhath Puja, Biswakarma Puja, Basanti Puja, Holi, Guru Poornima and Eid too hold a great significance for the region. Manasa Puja is the folk festival In Bihar's Ang region. It is the biggest festival of Anga. Champapuri the capital of Ang Pradesh is the main temple of Maa Vishari. Maa Manasa

1155-537: The use of mustard oil, fish, and bamboo shoots. The famous Bihari Fish Curry and Sarse Baingan (a mustard preparation of eggplant) are beloved Angika delicacies. Other Angika cuisines are Ghugni-Mudi , Thekua . Source: Manjusha Art is an Indian art form. They are temple-shaped boxes comprising eight pillars. They are made of bamboo, jute, and paper. They also contain paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses and other characters. These boxes are used in Bishahari puja,

1190-624: Was classified as a dialect of Maithili by George Abraham Grierson in the Linguistic Survey of India (1903). However, the Angika speakers now assert its status as an independent language. When the proponents of the Maithili language in Bihar demanded use of Maithili- medium primary education in the early 20th century, the people of the Angika-speaking region did not support them, and instead favoured Hindi -medium education. In

1225-527: Was established. On this day Rama and Sita fasted, and Surya Shashthi/Chhath Puja was performed by Sita. Hence, she was blessed with Lava and Kusha as sons. While in the Mahabharata , Chhath Puja was performed by Kunti after she (and the Pandavas ) escaped from Lakshagriha . It is also believed that Karna , the son of Surya and Kunti, was conceived after Kunti performed Chhath Puja. Draupadi

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