Chhath Puja 2024: Chhath Mahaparva Concludes with Arghya to the Rising Sun, Massive Crowd of Devotees Gathers at the Ghats

The revered festival of Chhath Puja was celebrated with immense devotion and enthusiasm, concluding on Friday morning as devotees offered Arghya to the rising sun. This ritual marked the end of the 36-hour Nirjala (waterless) fast undertaken by Chhath Vratis. Baskets filled with fruits, flowers, and puja essentials were balanced on heads, with the akhand jyoti in hand and the songs of Chhath Maiya on devotees’ lips. Around five lakh people expressed their devotion by offering water to the rising sun on the festival’s fourth day, celebrating with joy and reverence.

The ghats brimmed with faithful worshippers from early morning. While some devotees arrived as early as Sunday night, lakhs of women gathered at the ghats, city ponds, and artificial ponds from three in the morning with their families. All ghats in areas such as Barra, Gujaini, Pandu Nadi, CTI, Armapur, Panki, and Awas Vikas saw large crowds. Families gathered as daughters arrived with their brothers and relatives to clean the altar, beginning the altar worship at four o’clock. Ghee diyas illuminated the ghats, enhancing the atmosphere’s beauty.

Devotees at Armapur Ghat stayed awake all night, singing songs of Chhath Maiya and preparing for the ritual at dawn. Fasting women arrived even before sunrise to await the first light, performing rituals alongside family members. Security at the ghats was tight, with fasting women offering blessings and applying vermilion on one another. A significant number of devotees also arrived at Panki, contributing to the vibrant and devoted atmosphere of the Chhath celebrations.

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