In Delhi, braving early morning chill, devotees living in different parts of the city converged on the banks of the River Yamuna on Wednesday to pay obeisance to the rising sun, as the four-day Chhath
In Delhi, braving early morning chill, devotees living in different parts of the city converged on the banks of the River Yamuna on Wednesday to pay obeisance to the rising sun, as the four-day Chhath festival came to an end.
The festival entails worship of Sun God and is observed mainly by Poorvanchal region people from Bihar and eastern UP.
From Kalindi Kunj Ghat in south Delhi to Wazirabad and Kudesia Ghats in north, devotees thronged the river banks on Tuesday evening and in the early hours in colourful processions.
On Day One, called “nahai-khai (bathing-eating ritual),” devotees, mostly women, take a holy dip in the nearest river or other water bodies to usher in the spirit of the festival. On the following day, they prepare kheer on earthen fire, which is distributed as “prasad.”
During the next two days, they make an offering (arghya) to the setting sun and the rising sun in succession, thus bringing down curtains on the celebrations.
After offering the morning arghya, the families eat thekua as the main prasad, cooked by devotees themselves overn-ight and then engage in a grand feast. Children also burst crackers.
“We went to Kalindi Kunj Ghat yesterday evening and this morning to observe the rituals. We were about 50 people, and though we have been out of Bihar for 12 years now, we try to not forget our traditions that bind us to our roots back home,” said Subodh Gupta, a Nalanda district native, who now lives in Panchsheel Vihar in south Delhi.
In north and east Delhi too, people congregated at the nearest ghats or water bodies and paid obeisance to the rising sun.
