New Delhi: Chhath devotees across the country gathered at riverbanks to offer Arghya to the rising Sun. After making this holy offering, parents pray to Chhatti Maiya for their child’s protection as well as the happiness and peace of their whole family. The last day of the festival concludes with the worshippers going to a riverbank and offering an ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun.
In the national capital, worshippers gathered at various locations including Kalindi Kunj, ITO and Geeta Colony to offer the Surya Araghya. A devotee who had gathered with her family at Geeta Colony said that she was excited and content that she could celebrate the entire festival. “I have gathered here with my whole family to celebrate the occasion. We are all very excited that we could celebrate the whole festival,” said a devotee who had gathered with her family at Geeta Colony.
A devotee from Gorakhpur at the Guru Gorakhnath Ghat said that they stay excited for the festival throughout the year and pray and offer food to the Chhath Maa. “We stay excited for Chhath Puja throughout the year. We fast for the Chhath Maa, take a shower and offer food to Chhath Maa. On the second day, we serve ‘dala’ to our son and pray for the well-being of our children and other half,” said the devotee.
In Patna, people gathered at the Patna College Ghat and Digha Ghat to offer Surya Arghya. In Noida, devotees gathered at the Sector 21 stadium to offer the Surya Arghya. Visuals from Kolkata showed a group of women sitting and offering the Surya Agrhya. Visuals also emerged from Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj where devotees gathered in large numbers at the Ganga Ghat to conclude the Chhath Puja festivities.
The four days are marked as Nahay-Khay on the Chaturthi Tithi of Kartik Shukla Paksha, a day of purification, followed by Kharna on Panchami Tithi, Chhath Puja on Sashti, and will conclude with Usha Arghya on Saptami Tithi. In the four-day celebration, fasting is done by worshippers to express gratitude to the Sun God for sustaining life on Earth. The festival is primarily celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, parts of Nepal, and by diaspora communities from these regions