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New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) The four-day festival of Chhath Puja concluded with the rising sun (Usha Arghya) on Tuesday as devotees across the country offered heartfelt prayers to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya, marking the end of one of the most disciplined and spiritually uplifting festivals in the Hindu calendar.
The final ritual, known as ‘Usha Arghya’, symbolizes new beginnings and gratitude. As the first rays of dawn touched the rivers, ponds and ghats, devotees stood immersed in the water, chanting hymns and mantras and seeking blessings of the Sun God for health, happiness and prosperity.
Elaborate security arrangements were made ahead of the celebrations in the national capital. The atmosphere at Hathi Ghat of ITO was both calm and lively. Separate camps, medical teams and CCTV surveillance ensured security and smooth management.
Traditionally rooted in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, the festival has in recent years seen enthusiastic participation in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and even parts of southern India.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari joined devotees in Delhi for the closing rituals, and expressed happiness over the unity growing from the festival.
“This time, everything is much better – the facilities are excellent. The government has provided good arrangements, and everything is happening peacefully. We are very happy and satisfied,” a local devotee in the national capital told IANS.
Similarly, in Patna’s AG Colony, hundreds of people gathered before sunrise, their offerings of fruits, sugarcane and ‘thekua (traditional sweets)’ arranged neatly in bamboo baskets.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the spot and offered prayers, saying, “I feel extremely fortunate today. Right now, we offered Arghya to Lord Surya and remembered Chhathi Maiya. The energy and devotion of the devotees observing the fast is truly inspiring.”
At Delhi’s Sangam Vihar Ghat, slogans of “Jai Chhathi Maiya” echoed as families performed the ritual in waist-deep water.
LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Chaudhary and Union Minister Chirag Paswan also participated in the rituals in Bihar. Paswan said, “Chhathi Maiya gave us immense happiness without asking. May every family be filled with happiness and prosperity in the developed Bihar that we dream of.”
Similar scenes of devotion were seen all over the country. Devotees started gathering from 3 am in the morning for the last Arghya in Ayodhya. A devotee said, “My mother and sister-in-law are fasting today. Seeing them offering arghya to the rising sun fills my heart with faith.”
In Varanasi, thousands of people offered Usha Arghya and the ghats along the banks of Ganga were lit up with lamps.
From Kotputli in Rajasthan to Ahmedabad in Gujarat and from Ranchi in Jharkhand to Bhubaneswar in Odisha, devotees celebrated the conclusion of Chhath Mahaparva with unparalleled enthusiasm.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also participated in the rituals and greeted the devotees.
The festival begins with ‘Nahay Khay’, when devotees take a holy bath and prepare simple food. On the second day, ‘Kharna’, a day-long fast is observed from morning till evening and ends with the offering of rasiya (sweet porridge) and roti. The third day marks ‘Sandhya Arghya’, when ‘Nirjala Vrat’ (fasting without water) begins, which continues till the early hours of the fourth day (Usha Arghya).
–IANS
JK/DPB