Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Bhopal, October 22 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh is preparing for Chhath Puja, a four-day festival dedicated to the Sun God, to be celebrated from October 25 to 28 this year.
Thousands of devotees living in different parts of the state mainly from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh will gather to observe the traditional rituals with devotion and discipline.
State Sports and Cooperation Minister Vishwas Sarang on Wednesday inspected the Chhath Ghats prepared in Narela Assembly constituency of Bhopal and gave necessary instructions to the officials.
Sarang told IANS that he inspected the works related to cleaning, leveling, lighting and security at the Chhath ghats as the Madhya Pradesh government is fully committed to ensure that this year’s Chhath is celebrated in a more organized manner than ever before.
Sarang said, “The state government has already directed the officials including the district administration to prepare Chhath Ghats for the devotees. It is a festival where people of all sections offer Arghya to the Sun.”
In Bhopal, devotees perform Chhath Puja at various ghats along the upper lake shore and other places like Sheetal Das Ki Bagiya to perform rituals for the Sun God.
Preparations are made for the festival, including the preparation of several temporary and permanent ghats to accommodate the large number of devotees who specifically offer prayers to the setting and rising sun.
Public services like lighting, drinking water and sanitation are also ready to be provided at the ghats. Special trains are also run to handle the increasing number of passengers during the festive season.
According to the Hindu calendar, Chhath Puja is celebrated on the Shashthi date of Kartik month. Chhath Puja, also known as Surya Shashthi, is a bathing festival followed by a four-day period of abstinence and ritual purity.
Chhath Puja is celebrated as a tribute to the Sun God and symbolizes gratitude towards nature, purity and harmony with the environment.
–IANS
pd/red