Chhath Puja observed across State with fervour

Correspondents

Silchar: Chhath Puja, the ancient Hindu festival worshiping Surya or Sun God, was celebrated with enthusiasm across Barak Valley by Hindi speaking people. Since early morning, hundreds of women from their respective homes, singing paean to Sun God accompanied by traditional music, proceeded towards the river Barak and its tributaries to offer worship, invoking the God who is believed to sustain life on earth. The Sun God after observing the rituals is worshipped with all dedication who is looked down upon as the god of energy, well being, prosperity and progress. It is believed that Sun God cures diseases and is the life force of the universe.

It is a four-day festival when women in particular bath, fast and stands in water for a long period of time offering prayer to setting and rising sun. The festival which is generally celebrated six-days after Deepawali is a part of the holy ritual of the migrant population from Northern and Central India who are presently settled in Barak Valley. It is an ancient festival which has been celebrated since the Vedic period. There is a reference about it in Mahabharata.

The meaning of the word Chhath is six in Hindi and as this festival is celebrated on the sixth day of the month of Karthika, the festival is named the same. The first day is known as ‘nahai Khai’ when devotees take a dip in a river or a pond in the morning and carry home water from the same water body to prepare prasad (offerings). Devotees have only one meal on this day.

The second day is known as ‘lohanda’, when women observe fast for the whole day, breaking it only after sunset. After this begins a 36-hour long fast during which they are not even allowed a sip of water. On the fourth day, devotees gather around the same river or pond and offer ‘Usha arghya’ (morning offerings) to the rising sun. It is only after this puja that the worshippers break their fast.

TANGLA: Chhath Puja, the festival dedicated to Sun God (Surya), was observed on the river banks and near other water bodies on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning at Tangla. Devotees paid obeisance to the setting and rising sun for sustaining life on earth. Thousands of devotees and visitors thronged the Nonai and Naika river bank venues of the town carrying wicker baskets filled with fruits and offerings to the Sun God and his wife Usha (Chhathi Maiya), the goddess who is worshiped during the occasion.

Security measures had been made to avoid any mishap during the festival. Out of the three puja committees in the town, Nonai Chhath Puja Committee is the oldest celebrating the festival since 1960. Talking to this correspondent, the organizers said that with the help of police and paramilitary forces, adequate security arrangements had been made to conduct the puja smoothly as well as to ensure the convenience of other devotees. Volunteers were deployed to look after the activities of people and prevent any untoward incident.

JORHAT: Along with the rest of the country, in Jorhat to Chhath Puja celebration kicked off from Tuesday evening at various ghats (river banks) along Bhogdoi, Puthi, Kakodunga, Jhanji, Charaipani, and Neematighat. The festival of the Sun God was celebrated at 10 different venues on both the banks of River Bhogdoi at Goromur Pujadubi, Bhogdoi ghat, Bhogdoi AT Road ghat, Bhogdoi Mariani Dhudor Ali ghat, Titabor Charaipani ghat, Kakodunga AT Road ghat and Kakodunga Titabor. Devotees thronged the ghats to perform rituals. Religious cultural shows and various competitions were organized at night, said Rajkumar Mishra, the organizing secretary of Hindustani Yuwa Samaj, Jorhat.

Dhekiajuli: Chhath Puja was celebrated with religious fervor across Dhekiajuli subdivision on Tuesday. Hundreds of devotees took holy dip on Tuesday in the Dhirai River situated in the western part of Dhekiajuli town. The devotees cooked special food for offering to the Sun God. At the Dhirai Riverbank, devotees offered arghya to the rising sun and after that, some devotees who were on fasting, broke their fast. The Shree Shree Surya Swasthi Puja Committee, Dhekiajuli had set up makeshift ghats on the Dhirai River bank to facilitate Chhath Puja rituals by the devotees.

Apart from Dhirai River, devotees celebrated Chhath Puja at the Swahid Park and a pond of ward no. 4, Anil Borah Path. As per the Chhath Puja programme on Wednesday, early in the morning, the devotees would offer argya to the Sun God. Meanwhile, the local administration has made adequate security arrangement for peaceful celebration of Chhath Puja in different parts of Dhekiajuli town.

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