The Chhath puja festival was celebrated in Hyderabad with great enthusiasm. Men, women, and children gathered at Hussainsagar and other water bodies in the city to offer their prayers on the third day of the festival. Women were seen in the front rows at the lake, performing their puja rituals. As the sun set, many people stepped into the water to offer their prayers to the Sun god.
Chhath is a Hindu festival dedicated to worshipping the sun. It is observed six days after Diwali, specifically on the sixth day of the Kartika Masam (October-November) of the Hindu calendar. The festival holds great religious significance for people from Bihar, Jharkhand, and the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. Even people from these regions living in Hyderabad have been celebrating the festival with equal enthusiasm for many years. The festival is dedicated to ChhathiMaiya, the sixth form of Devi Prakriti, and Lord Surya’s sister.
Manvendra Mishra, ex-president of Bihar Association in Hyderabad, mentioned that the community is unique in worshipping the setting sun during the occasion. The celebrations took place at 22 ghats across Hyderabad this year. The rituals of Chhath puja are observed over four days. On the third day, everyone gathers near the lake to offer prayers to the setting sun. On the fourth and final day of the festival, which falls on Monday this year, devotees pray to the rising sun.
Ankita Mishra, a participant in the festival, shared that they eagerly await Chhath Puja every year after Diwali. The celebrations last for four days. On the first day, called “NahayKhay,” special meals consisting of pumpkin, moong-chana dal, and rice are prepared. On the second day, known as “Kharna day,” a special prasad made of jaggery and rice is offered to the Sun god. From the second day until the sunrise on the fourth day, devotees, especially women, abstain from consuming food and water.
Prabhas Kumar, the general secretary of the association, mentioned that this year they celebrated the festival in a grand manner. For many years, they have been organizing the festival at Uppal ghat, maintaining the same zeal and tradition as in Bihar. On the third day, after offering puja to Lord Surya, various cultural programs were organized throughout the night. The next day, after worshiping the rising sun, everyone returns home.
