Patna, October 28 (IANS): The four-day Chhath Puja, one of Bihar’s most revered festivals concluded on Tuesday morning with lakhs of devotees offering Arghya (prayers) to the rising Sun, thereby marking the end of their 36-hour waterless fast.

At dawn, devotees gathered along riverbanks, ponds, and reservoirs across the state to make offerings of milk, water, and seasonal fruits, before breaking their fasts.

The ritual concluded with devotees sipping tea mixed with ghee, symbolizing the completion of the four-day Chhath Maha parv.

The Chhath fast is considered among the most rigorous in Hindu tradition, reflecting purity, discipline, and faith. It is observed twice a year — during Kartik Shukla Paksha (Sharadiya Chhath) and Chaitra month (Chaitra Chhath).

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar celebrated Chhath at his official residence, 1 Anne Marg, accompanied by his son Nishant Kumar and family members. Union Minister Chirag Paswan also performed the rituals alongwith his family, offering ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun.

Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary, along with ministers Nitin Naveen, Sanjay Mayukh, and Ashok Choudhary, also observed the festival at their respective residences.

The four-day observance began with Nahay-Khay, followed by Kharna on the second day, where devotees prepare kheer, roti, and bananas as offerings. The 36-hour fast then continues until the evening offering to the setting sun (Sandhya Arghya) and concludes the next morning with the offering to the rising sun (Usha Arghya).

To maintain sanctity and safety, district administrations across Bihar conducted extensive cleanliness and lighting drives at all Chhath ghats. Special arrangements were made to ensure purity in prasad preparation and environmental protection, central themes of the festival.

Traditional Chhath songs echoed along the ghats, enhancing the devotional atmosphere. For crowd management and safety, large contingents of police, NDRF, and SDRF personnel were deployed under magistrate supervision.

Senior officials, including the District Magistrates, SSPs, SPs and local MLAs, personally inspected ghats while authorities ensured an uninterrupted power supply and round-the-clock monitoring, allowing millions of devotees to conclude the festival peacefully.

–IANS

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