New Delhi: Devotees will observe the second day of the four-day Chhath festival — ‘Kharna’ — on Saturday, during which they will observe a day-long fast and perform worship in the evening after taking a bath.
Chhath festival, one of the most significant celebrations of faith in Bihar and several other parts of the country, began on Friday with the traditional ritual of ‘Nahay-Khay’.
On the second day, they prepare offerings that traditionally include jaggery-based ‘kheer’, ‘roti’, and other ‘prasad’. After offering the food to the deity, the ‘vrati’ eats it and shares it with family members and others.
This is followed by the rigorous 36-hour nirjala fast, which continues through the main worship rituals dedicated to the setting and rising Sun.
Chhath is also marked by collective participation across families and communities. Traditional folk songs begin resonating in homes from Nahay-Khay, while family members work together to arrange fruits, bamboo baskets, ceremonial items and other offerings.
The first day marks the beginning of a period of spiritual discipline, cleanliness and devotion dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya. Devotees observing the fast, known as ‘vratis’, begin preparing themselves for the rigorous rituals that follow.
On the first day, devotees take a ritual bath, wear clean clothes and, in many cases, visit the Ganga and other sacred rivers, believing that the holy dip purifies the body and mind.
Food preparation is carried out with particular care, as maintaining ritual purity is considered central to Chhath Puja.
The traditional Nahay-Khay meal consists of arwa rice (non-parboiled rice), chana dal (split Bengal gram) and kaddu (pumpkin).
Markets across towns and villages also witness increased activity, with people purchasing fruits, vegetables, ‘soop (bamboo winnowing baskets)’, ‘daura (bamboo baskets)’ and other items required for the rituals.
The festival, rooted in folk traditions and devotion, places special emphasis on discipline, cleanliness, simplicity and the collective participation of families and communities.
(IANS)
