Chhat Puja: Setting Sun and Rising Sun Salutation
The story goes that the Sun and the Moon sat next to the demon Svarbhanu in the elixir line.
After the churning of the ocean, the elixir or immortality was partaken of by all the gods. Svarbhanu slipped into the elixir food line and swallowed their elixir before any of the gods could do anything about it.
The Sun and Moon who were sitting next to Svarbhanu raised the alarm. Mohini/Sri Vishnu hit him with her ladle, with which she was serving the elixir, and cut him in half but since he/they had already taken the elixir, no good came of the slicing: Svarbhanu became two — Rahu and Ketu, body and head of a serpent. The blood drops that fell when Svarbhanu transformed into Rahu and Ketu is said to have turned into garlic and onion, which is why garlic and onion are considered non vegetarian by strict Hindu households.
Chhat Puja is the culmination of the offering of Arghya to the Sun and the Moon, the setting sun (and the rising moon) in order to fortify them and strengthen them…
