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Patna, Oct 28 (IANS): The four-day Chhath Puja, one of the most revered festivals of Bihar, concluded on Tuesday morning with lakhs of devotees offering arghya to the rising sun, ending their 36-hour waterless fast.
At dawn, devotees gathered on river banks, ponds and reservoirs across the state to make offerings of milk, water and seasonal fruits before breaking their fast.
The ritual concluded with devotees drinking tea mixed with ghee, marking the conclusion of the four-day Chhath festival.
Chhath Vrat is considered one of the most rigorous fasts in the Hindu tradition, signifying purity, discipline and faith. It is celebrated twice a year – during Kartik Shukla Paksha (Shardiya Chhath) and Chaitra month (Chaitra Chhath).
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar celebrated Chhath with his son Nishant Kumar and family members at his official residence 1 Anne Marg. Union Minister Chirag Paswan along with his family also offered ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun and offered prayers.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Chaudhary along with ministers Nitin Naveen, Sanjay Mayukh and Ashok Chaudhary also celebrated the festival at their respective residences.
The four-day ritual began with Nahay-Khay, followed by Kharna on the second day, where devotees prepare kheer, roti and bananas as prasad. The 36-hour fast continues until arghya is offered to the setting sun (Sandhya Arghya) in the evening and ends with arghya being offered to the rising sun (Usha Arghya) the next morning.
To maintain sanctity and safety, the district administration conducted a massive cleanliness and lighting campaign at all Chhath Ghats across Bihar. Special arrangements were made to ensure purity and environmental protection in the preparation of prasad, the central themes of the festival.
Traditional Chhath songs kept resonating on the ghats, due to which the atmosphere became devotional. Large contingents of police, NDRF and SDRF personnel were deployed under the supervision of the magistrate for crowd management and security.
Senior officials, including district magistrates, SSPs, SPs and local MLAs, personally inspected the ghats, while officials ensured uninterrupted power supply and round-the-clock surveillance, allowing lakhs of devotees to celebrate the festival peacefully.
–IANS
AJK/Mr.