36-hour-long fast, worshipping the Sun God: Devotees gear up for Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja will be observed on 30 October this year in which devotees worship Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya. The four-day-long festival started with Nahay Khay on 28 October
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Chhath Puja will be celebrated on Sunday (30 October) this year when Arghya will be offered to the setting sun. The four-day ancient Hindu Vedic festival began with Nahay Khay on 28 October. Chhath Puja is also called Pratihar, Dala Chhath, Chhathi and Surya Shashthi. PTI
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Women observe a 36-hour-long fast during Chhath Puja. Today, Kharna puja is being celebrated by the devotees, and on 31 October, Usha Arghya (prayers to the rising sun) will be observed. The festival is primarily celebrated in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh as well as in Nepal. PTI
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The central government is running more than 200 special trains to accommodate the rise in passengers during the Chhath Puja festival. On Tuesday, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had appealed to the Centre to provide special trains for those returning to their home states to celebrate the festival. PTI
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The special trains will connect major destinations across the country such as Darbhanga, Azamgarh, Saharsa, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Firozpur, Patna, Katihar and Amritsar among others. PTI
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Many devotees return to their native states to observe the Chhath Puja. People worship the solar deity Surya and Shashthi Devi during the festival. Women who observe Chhath Puja consume a single meal and devotees offer prasad to Lord Surya. PTI
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In a first, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has declared 30 October as ‘dry day’ in the national capital on account of Chhath Puja. Earlier, he had given his approval to celebrate Chhath Puja at designated ghats along the Yamuna. PTI
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On Friday, Delhi revenue minister Kailash Gahlot paid a visit to Hathi Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna near ITO to review preparations ahead of Chhath Puja. The festival is considered auspicious among Purvanchalis – people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh– living in Delhi. Twitter/@kgahlot
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Chhath Puja is one of the biggest festivals in Jharkhand. A large number of devotees assemble at water bodies across the state such as ponds, rivers, reservoirs and lakes to worship the rising and setting sun. PTI
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An artist sculpted a sand art depicting the Sun god at the Ganga Pathway in Bihar’s capital Patna on the first day of the Chhath Puja festival on Friday. PTI
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On the last day of the festival, women offer Arghya to the rising sun while standing in the water and then break their 36-hour-long fast. PTI
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