Major day of the Chhath festival being observed today

The major day of the Chhath festival is being observed today, marking the ‘Shasti Tithi’ of the lunar calendar.

After worshipping the rising sun today, devotees will be observing a fast abstaining from food and water and will offer “Arghya” to the setting sun in the evening.

After observing a fast and staying awake all night today, the devotees will worship the setting sun with offerings as a major part of the festival.

They offer fruits, sugarcane, thekua (a delicacy made of flour and sugar in ghee), incense, flowers, vegetables, coconuts, garlands, vermilion powder, lamps, honey, rice, sandalwood, money, cloth pieces, and other items.

These offerings symbolize gratitude towards the sun god for sustaining life on Earth, as the four-day festival is dedicated to the sun god and goddess Chhathi Maiya.

The rituals include fasting, offering prayers to the rising and setting sun, holy bathing, and meditation while standing in water.

The festival is one of the country’s major festivals and is predominately celebrated in the Terai-Madhesh region. But nowadays it is also celebrated by different communities of people in hilly and mountainous regions.

Banks of rivers, streams, and ponds across the country were decorated with colorful lights, flowers, and festoons for the Chhath festival and crowded by the devotees.