Sakat Chauth holds special significance in Hinduism. This festival is celebrated on the Chaturthi Tithi of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Magha month. It is also known as Til Chaturthi, Sankashti Chaturthi, and Magha Chaturthi. This year, the Sakat Chauth fast will be observed on January 6.

According to scriptures, during Sakat Vrat, worshiping Lord Ganesha along with offering jaggery and sesame seeds (til) holds great importance. It is believed that by performing this fast, one can remove all sorrows and bring positivity into their life. Women, in particular, observe this fast and pray for the long life of their children.

On this day, many women observe a Nirjala Vrat, and it is considered incomplete without reciting the Vrat Katha.

The Story behind Sakat Chauth:

Once, Maa Parvati was sitting by the river with her husband Lord Shiva. She wished to play a game of Chaupad (board game), but there was no one to decide the winner. In this situation, Maa Parvati and Lord Shiva breathed life into a clay idol and assigned it the role of a referee. Maa Parvati won the game multiple times, but once, by mistake, the clay idol declared Lord Shiva as the winner and Maa Parvati as the loser. Enraged by this, Maa Parvati cursed the idol and made it lame.

The idol, seeking forgiveness, asked Maa Parvati to take back the curse, but she replied that the curse couldn’t be undone. However, she did provide a remedy.

In the kingdom of Raja Harishchandra, there was a potter who made clay pots, but they would remain uncooked. A priest advised him to place a small child inside the oven with the clay pots on Sankashti Chaturthi. The child’s mother, worried for her son’s safety, prayed to Lord Ganesha for his well-being.

The next day, when the potter checked, he found that the pots had been fully baked, but the child was unharmed. Shocked, the potter went to the king and told him what had happened. The king summoned the child and his mother, and the mother explained the significance of Sankashti Chaturthi.

Since then, women have started observing the Sakat Chauth fast for the well-being and fortune of their children and family.

Sakat Chauth holds great significance in Hindu tradition, especially for women, who observe the fast for the health, prosperity, and happiness of their children. This fast is believed to bring blessings of santan (children) sukh (happiness), family prosperity, and well-being.