by Avijit Biswas
Bhagalpur: Village Ballikitta in Amarpur block of adjoining Banka district is like any other village of the area. However, this otherwise nondescript village stands different from other villages of the area due to the fact there are number of residents in village who bear similar name “Chhatu”.
As per local residents there are more than dozen residents in village named Chhatu. It is not just a coincidence. Residents of this village have firm belief that couple who have no issue can have baby have baby performing Chhath Puja.
The childless married women who seek blessings of Chhathi Maiya (Goddess) are blessed with child, residents of village say. As per the residents there is tradition of naming male child Chhatu and female child Chhati in village by parents who are blessed with babies performing Chhath Puja.
Even those male and female children in village who are born during Chhath Puja are respectively named Chhatu and Chhati. This is the reason there are number of people in village bearing similar name Chhatu. Normally also people here in number of cases prefer naming male child as Chhatu and female child as Chhati because of their faith that it is due to blessings of Chhathi Maiya married women are blessed with child.
As per village residents every second or third house in village either has Chhatu or Chhati in family. The couples in village who are gifted with baby performing Chhath Puja follow tradition of getting head of their child tonsured (mundan) on occasion of Chhath Puja. Chotan Thakur, the village barber informed this year he tonsured head of four child whose mundan were performed on occasion of Chhath Puja.
