Birgunj: The Chhath festival has been celebrated with much fanfare and by offering curd to the setting sun here Thursday. The pond, reservoirs, and riverbanks are crowded with devotees. Birgunj Metropolitan City (BMC) beautifully decorated the banks of rivers and ponds. The male folks of the family could be seen heading to the riverbanks with baskets full of puja assortments.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the major day of Chhath is today, Kartik Shukla Shasthi as per the lunar calendar, while it is concluded by offering curd to the rising sun the next day. The Sun God is worshipped by offering plants and fruits like ginger, banana, tuber, turmeric, coconut, apple, orange, and thekuwa, a delicacy as prasad. Similarly, while offering curd, betel nut, clove, and black cardamom are also used. The devout take a holy dip in the pond and river and offer the curd.
Former secretary of Narayani Literary Foundation, Manoj Upadhyay, mentioned that the festival of public faith was observed with much devotion
in Birgunj. “The devotees, especially the women folks, celebrate the Chhath festival by observing fasting and wishing peace and prosperity for the family and descendants,” he said, adding that Chhath is related to nature. Another, Dilip Saha Kanu, who is also the chair of the Ghadiarba Chhath Puja management committee, shared, “We’ve been preserving ancient art and culture by managing festival celebrations for 22 years.”
Some 150 thousand people visit the decorated river banks for the celebration. The festival is for peace, prosperity, and fraternity, he added.