November 5, 2024 9:28 AM.
The four-day long Chhath Puja will begin today with the ritual of Nahay-Khay. The festival of worship of the Sun God will conclude on 8th November.
On the first day of the festival today, devotees are taking holy dip in different rivers, ponds and reservoirs. They are performing puja of the Sun God. After that they will consume cooked food items like Arwa rice, Chana dal and green vegetable gourd in form of the Prasad. In Bihar, a large number of devotees are gathered at the banks of Ganga, Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati and other rivers.
Tomorrow Kharna will be performed. After that a tough and 36 hour long fast will begin in which devotees abstain from drinking water.
The First Arghya or oblations to the setting Sun will be offered on the seventh November. On the 8th November the devotees will offer second and the final Arghya to the rising Sun standing in water, marking the culmination of the festival.
Devotees will perform Chhath Puja on the banks of Ganga, Gandak, Koshi, Sone, Kamla Balan and other rivers of Bihar. Besides this the Puja will be performed at Chhath Ghats of several other famous Sun temples.
Large number of devotees have reached at famous temples like Deo in Aurangabad, Olark Sun temple in Patna, Ongaridham Sun temple in Nalanda district. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has greeted people on the occasion of Chhath Puja.