Washington: A temple pond near Houston, a California lake and the banks of the Potomac River in a Virginia suburb of Washington have become places where diaspora families keep a familiar tradition close: gathering at the water’s edge to offer prayers to the sun.
Across the United States and Canada, Chhath is bringing together fasting devotees, children, relatives and volunteers. The settings are North American, but organisers’ invitations carry a shared concern — preserving the rituals of home and helping another generation make them their own.
Near Houston, the pond at the Jagannath Hindu Temple of Rosenberg is the centre of a community effort involving families, donors and volunteers.
The organisers say six scientists are sponsoring, cooking and serving food for families attending the celebration. Other volunteers help with setup, parking, cleanup and welcoming people. The invitation reads: “Open to every family that celebrates.”
The work behind the prayers is part of the gathering. Registration helps organisers plan food and space at the water, while families can sign up to help with the tasks that make a community celebration possible.
In the national capital region, community members have celebrated Chhath on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia for two decades. It all started in 2006 when Kripa Shankar Singh and his wife, Anita, sought a place to observe the festival.
“This is our attempt to keep our culture alive in a foreign land,” Anita Singh told IANS in an interview, adding that what began as a family affair now attracts hundreds of community members from far and near every year.
In New Jersey, the Bihar-Jharkhand Association of North America expresses a similar purpose in its invitation to families. It asks participants to “help us keep our traditions alive, far from home but never apart”.
The invitation welcomes those observing the fast and those coming to support them. Relatives and friends have a place alongside the devotees, making the gathering a shared community occasion.
On the West Coast, the Bay Area celebration includes a gathering organised by Quarry Lakes Chhath in Fremont, near Silicon Valley. Its registration page pairs arrangements for the evening offering with the practical requirements of using a public recreation space, including advance parking passes.
Farther south, the Bihar Jharkhand Bandhu Association is bringing families to Oso Lake Scout Camp in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Children, friends and volunteers are invited alongside fasting devotees. The group describes the gathering beside the lake as an opportunity for families to observe the festival together in a natural setting. Its invitation emphasises strengthening cultural connections and passing the tradition to another generation.
Celebrations also extend to Hindu Buddha Mandir in Maryland, in the Washington-Baltimore region, and the Shiv Mandir of Atlanta in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Near Seattle, the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in Bothell is accepting registrations for collective Chhath worship.
In Canada, shared meals are central to preparations at the Vaishno Devi Temple in Oakville, Ontario. The Bihar and Jharkhand Association of Canada says donations and sponsorship will make meals, puja and prasad free throughout its three-day programme.
Its appeal connects the celebration to maintaining the traditions of Bihar and Jharkhand in Canada, with community contributions supporting the gathering.
The invitations reflect different community priorities: bringing family and friends together in New Jersey, involving children in California and sharing meals in Oakville.
–IANS–
