Chhath Puja is one of the most important festivals for Hindus in Bihar, Jharkhand, and other parts of Uttar Pradesh. Legends believe that several places in Bihar have an important spiritual association with the Chhath festival, Munger being one of them.
The locals in Munger, a twin city in Bihar, believe that the first Chhath Puja was performed here by Goddess Sita on the banks of River Ganga, as per Anand Ramayan. The site is now known as Sita Charan temple. Inside the river, the footprints of Goddess Sita are still there on the huge stone.
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Kaushal Kishore Pathak, a famous pandit in the city, has also claimed that there is a mention of Sita Charan and Munger on pages 33 to 36 of Anand Ramayan.
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As per mythological stories, when Lord Rama came back to Ayodhya after exile, he performed the Rajasuya Yagya for his kingdom. It was then that sage Valmiki informed him that his Yagya would fail if sage Mudgal is not present. After hearing this, Lord Rama along with Goddess Sita went to the ashram of sage Mudgal where he suggested Goddess Sita worship Lord Surya and Chhatti Maiya.
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According to Anand Ramayan, Lord Rama thought killing Ravana was a sin since he was a Brahmin so, Vashishtha Muni, the Kulguru of Ayodhya, sent Rama-Sita to Mudgal Rishi, to get rid of the sin.
It is believed that sage Mudgal and Lord Rama performed the Brahmahatya Mukti Yagya while Goddess Sita observed a fast and offered Arghya to the setting sun in the west and the rising sun in the east while worshipping Sun God.
It is believed that performing Chhath in the temple’s courtyard can make one’s wishes come true.
