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The four-day long Chhath festival, celebrated in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, concluded on November 8, 2024, with devotees offering prayers to the rising sun. The festival, which began on November 5 with the 'nahai-khai' ritual (ritual bath and breakfast), saw widespread participation across the states. The Chhath puja falls on the sixth day of the Kartigai Shukla Paksha in the Shashti tithi according to the Hindu calendar. It honors the Sun as a deity in the spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving, seeking a good winter harvest. Alongside the Sun, Chhathi Maiya, also known as the Vedic deity Usha, is worshipped during the festival.
Several prominent figures participated in the celebrations, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, who both offered 'arghya,' a prayer to the rising and setting sun, with their families. The State government had made extensive arrangements for the festival, including security personnel, medical camps, and drone mapping at over a hundred ghats in Patna. The district administration also created water bodies in city parks for those who wished to avoid the crowds at the river banks. The roads were cleaned and decorated with lights, and senior district officials visited ghats to review arrangements for the devotees.
The festival also saw the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant people from Bihar, who travelled home to participate in the celebrations. The heavy influx of people resulted in crammed train bogies and packed buses, a common sight during the Chhath festival. However, the festive joy was marred by tragedy as eight people, including three children, drowned to death in various parts of the state. The children drowned while their family members were making preparations for the prayers at the ghats. Two girls and a boy, all under 14 years old, drowned in the Sone river in Andhari village, Bhojpur district. Similarly, two young men, Ayush Kumar (18) and Abhishek Kumar (22), from Pipra village, Rohtas district, also died by drowning during the festival. The incidents highlight the need for greater safety measures during large-scale festivals, particularly at water bodies.
Chhath puja is a deeply ingrained tradition in Bihar and surrounding regions, reflecting the close connection between people and their environment. The festival signifies a time of thanksgiving, a chance to express gratitude to the Sun for a bountiful harvest and seek blessings for the coming year. However, the tragic drownings serve as a stark reminder of the importance of safety precautions during such events. As celebrations conclude and the state returns to its normal rhythm, the memory of the victims remains, urging authorities to implement stricter safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Source: Chhath puja concludes in Bihar after four day long celebration