Ratha Saptami or Rathasapthami (sanskrit: रथसप्तमी or Magha Saptami) is a Hindu festival that falls on the seventh day (saptami) in the bright half (Shukla paksha) of the Hindu month maagha. It marks the seventh day following the Sun’s northerly movement (uttarayana) of vernal equinox starting from Capricorn (Makara). It is symbolically represented in the form of the Sun god, surya turning his Ratha (Chariot) drawn by seven horses (representing seven colours of rainbow) towards the northern hemisphere, in a north-easterly direction. The chariot has 12 wheels, representing the 12 signs,(each of 30 degrees) of the zodiac(360degrees) and constituting a full year ( year - samvatsara) occurs somewhere near january-february.
Ratha Saptami is symbolic of the change of season to spring and the start of the harvesting season. For most Indian farmers, it is an auspicious beginning of the New Year. The festival is observed by all Hindus in their houses and in innumerable temples dedicated to Surya, across India.
Chhath (devanagri language: छठ, छठी, छठ पर्व, छठ पुजा, डाला छठ, डाला पुजा, सुर्य षष्ठी) is an ancient Hindu festival and a vedic festival dedicated to the Hindu sun God, surya and chhathi maiya (ancient Vedic Goddess Usha(meaning light)). The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth. This falls on the sixth(shashti) day of the bright lunar phase (shukla paksha) of the karthika masam (month). this falls somewhere during october-November
on these two particular days, surya bhagvan(lord) is revered, and hymns and matras are read out in his praise. Two particularly important ones are Aditya hridayam and Gayatri mantram. Worshiping sun is paying respect and giving recognition to its presence that creates, guides and controls the world with its endless light and energy. The sun is regarded as the prathyaksha-daiva (all visible-god/divinity).
why these sun festivals are carried out during the particular time of the year mentioned? These festivals fall close to some of the astronomical changes occurring around the earth.
The Sun's Daily Motion
http://physics.weber.edu/schroeder/ua/SunAndSeasons.html
On any given day, the sun moves through our sky in the same way as a star. It rises somewhere along the eastern horizon and sets somewhere in the west. If you live at a mid-northern latitude (most of North America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa), you always see the noon sun somewhere in the southern sky.But as the weeks and months pass, you'll notice that the sun's motion isn't quite the same as that of any star. For one thing, the sun takes a full 24 hours to make a complete circle around the celestial sphere, instead of just 23 hours, 56 minutes. For obvious reasons, we define our day based on the motion of the sun, not the stars.On any given day, the sun moves through our sky in the same way as a star. It rises somewhere along the eastern horizon and sets somewhere in the west. If you live at a mid-northern latitude (most of North America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa), you always see the noon sun somewhere in the southern sky.Moreover, the location of the sun's path across the sky varies with the seasons.
The sun's path through the rest of the sky is similarly farther north in June and farther south in December. In summary:
In late March and late September (at the "equinoxes"), the sun's path follows the celestial equator. It then rises directly east and sets directly west. The exact dates of the equinoxes vary from year to year, but are always near March 20 and September 22.
After the March equinox, the sun's path gradually drifts northward. By the June solstice (usually June 21), the sun rises considerably north of due east and sets considerably north of due west. For mid-northern observers, the noon sun is still toward the south, but much higher in the sky than at the equinoxes.
After the June solstice, the sun's path gradually drifts southward. By the September equinox, its path is again along the celestial equator. The southward drift then continues until the December solstice (usually December 21), when the sun rises considerably south of due east and sets considerably south of due west. For mid-northern observers, the noon sun is quite low in the southern sky. After the December solstice, the sun's path drifts northward again, returning to the celestial equator by the March equinox.
The ratha sapthami coincides with the nothwardly movement (uttarayana)of the sun before the march equinox. The following are the dates of rathasapthami in different years.
2015- 26th january
2014- 6th february
2013- 24th january
2012- 19th february
2011- 10th february
The surya shashti coincides with the time of the southward movement (dakshinayana)of the sun that is after september equinox.
2015-17 november
2014- 29th october
2013- 8 November
2012- 19th november
2011- 1st November
2009- 24th october
