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In the tradition of Sanatan Dharma and Krishna Bhakti, there has been a unique culture of considering the child form of Lord Shri Krishna i.e. Laddu Gopal as a small member of one’s family and performing every service of his with great pampering. When Kanha ji’s birth anniversary is celebrated with great pomp on the holy festival of Janmashtami, then on its sixth day i.e. ‘Shashthi’ date, the festival of ‘Laddu Gopal Ki Chhathi’ is organized with equal joy and festive atmosphere. Just as in our society, Chhathi is worshiped six days after the birth of a new born child and wishes for his health and longevity, with exactly the same spirit, special rituals, worship and celebration are organized on the Chhathi of Lord Balagopal. The most special thing in this entire event is that the offering of ‘Kadhi and Rice’ is compulsorily included in all the offerings made to God, without which this ritual of Chhathi is considered incomplete. After all, what is the reason that despite the tradition of offering Chhappan Bhog to the Gods, only Kadhi-rice is offered exclusively on Chhathi day of Laddoo Gopal, and what are the mythological beliefs behind it, let us know each and every aspect of it in detail through this article.
The tradition of celebrating Chhathi of Laddu Gopal and the unwavering love of devotees towards child form Gopal.
Devotees who install Laddu Gopal, the child form of Lord Krishna, in their home do not just consider him as an idol or idol, but consider him as the youngest and most loved son or Kanhaiya of their house and take full care of his every small and big need. When Kanha’s birth anniversary is celebrated on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month, the sixth day following that is celebrated with great pomp as a symbol of his childhood rituals. On this day, the women of the house and the devotees take bath in the morning and wear new clothes, dress Laddoo Gopal in yellow clothes and make him grand and celebrate the festival by singing Chhathi songs. The main objective of this event is to express that our beloved Kanhaiya is now six days old and we are wishing him a happy and prosperous life after overcoming the difficulties of the initial days of his life.
Why is curry and rice offered exclusively on the day of Chhathi? Know the religious reasons.
Although many types of sweets, fruits and dishes are prepared on the occasion of Laddu Gopal’s Chhathi, but offering curry and rice is considered the most important and essential part of this festival. Experts of religious beliefs and traditions say that Kadhi is considered a satvik item made of sour and gram flour, which is deeply connected with the childhood pastimes of Lord Shri Krishna and the simplicity of the rural environment. Lord Krishna is fond of Makhan-Mishri, Chhappan Bhog and all kinds of royal things, but when Chhathi of his child form is celebrated, he is treated like a common child and offered satvik and traditional food. Apart from this, from astrological and Ayurvedic point of view, the combination of curry and rice is considered to provide coolness to the body and ease of digestion, and this indulgence is a symbol of the fact that Balgopal loves simple and pure home-made food.
This ancient history of offering curry and rice is related to the tradition of Gokul and Braj.
The ancient folk traditions of Braj and Gokul also have a big role behind this offering of curry and rice, where Lord Krishna had completed most of his childhood pastimes by living among the Gopas and Gopis. Whenever there was any celebration or children’s birthday in any house in Brijmandal, special importance was given to traditional rural dishes along with the dishes, because Yashoda Maiya always liked to feed nutritious and home-made food to her Kanha. Kadhi is prepared with the right balance of gram flour, curd and spices, which teaches us how important it is to have a balance between sourness and sweetness in life. When this sacred offering of curry and rice is dedicated to God on the day of Chhathi, it is then distributed among the entire family and close friends in the form of Prasad, which brings mental peace and blessings to the home.
Other favorite offerings of Laddu Gopal and the correct method of worshiping him on Chhathi.
Apart from the main offering of curry and rice, on the Chhathi day of Laddu Gopal, he is also specially offered butter, sugar candy, Panchamrit, fresh fruits, Panjiri and gram flour laddus. On the morning of Chhathi, Balagopal is anointed with Ganga water and milk, he is dressed in new clothes and then he is worshiped in a ritual manner by offering incense, lamps, scent and flowers. At the end of the puja, when curry and rice are offered to God, keeping Tulsi leaves is not forgotten because God does not accept any offering without Tulsi. In this way, this festival of Laddu Gopal Ki Chhathi is celebrated with full devotion and gaiety, which further strengthens the immense love and devotion of the devotees towards God.