Celebrations begin today

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Nov. 5: The Chhath festival, which is celebrated for four days, is beginning on Tuesday. The ponds and the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu are being decorated for the Chhath festival. The festival is observed by worshipping and making offerings to the setting sun, mostly in the southern plains, also known as the Tarai region. 

The Chhath festival is observed as a common cultural symbol of the Tarai and is celebrated as per the religious tradition with much fanfare. The festival is dedicated to the Sun God, with offerings made to the rising and setting sun.  

The sun considered the god of energy and the life force is worshipped during the Chhath festival to promote the well-being, prosperity and progress of families. The ritual of Chhath includes taking a holy bath, fasting and worshipping the sun and offering prasad and argha (water) to the rising and setting sun. 

On the first day, the devotees take a dip in the holy rivers and ponds and clean the houses and surrounding areas. The devotees take food laced with ghee, rice and milk without taking salt, onion and garlic. 

On the second day, the devotees fast for the whole day and break the fast in the evening after the sun sets. The devotees offer rice porridge (kheer) and fruit during the worship of the Sun God. The devotees observe fasting for the next 36 hours. 

The devotees will spend the third day preparing the prasad (offerings). On this day, they present their offerings and prayers to the setting sun. A large number of devotes gather on the banks of holy rivers and ponds to worship and to make offerings to the setting sun.  

The highlight of this day is the places of worship embellished with vibrant electric lights and flowers. 

The devotees also sing traditional folk songs in the evening displaying the culture and history of the festival.

On the fourth and final day, they make offerings to the rising sun and will distribute prasad to family members, relatives and neighbours.