Third day of Chaiti Chhath marked

By Binaya Karna,Kalyanpur (Saptari), Mar. 24: The third day of Chaiti Chhath, a major cultural and religious festival of Mithilanchal, is being celebrated by offering Argha to the setting sun on Tuesday.

The third day of the four-day festival is observed by offering Argha to the setting sun, known as Sandhya Argha.

Since Tuesday morning, devotees have been busy preparing for the fast throughout the day to offer Sandhya Argha to the Sun God. Meanwhile, other family members have been engaged in cleaning and decorating Chhath ghats, ponds, rivers, and lakes for the evening rituals.

Satish Kumar Dutta, former president of the Maithili Sahitya Parishad, Saptari, said that although Chaiti Chhath is not as grand or widely attended as the Chhath festival celebrated after Tihar, its rituals and significance remain the same. 

On Tuesday evening, Ramananda Dev, a ward member of Rajbiraj Municipality Ward No. 7, said that preparations are underway across the district, including Rajbiraj, to decorate ponds and water bodies for offering Sandhya Argha to the setting sun.

He added that devotees have gathered at places such as Bhagwati Temple Pond, Kaltudas Pond, Turanti Pond, and other sites in Rajbiraj to clean and decorate the Chhath ghats.

It is a tradition for women to visit the Chhath ghats dressed in traditional attire, carrying offerings to present Argha to the setting sun.

Devotees pray to Chhath Mata for the happiness, prosperity, and longevity of their families. The festival will conclude on the fourth and final day, Wednesday morning, with the offering of Argha to the rising sun. It is customary for worshippers to break their fast after this ritual.

The Chhath festival is celebrated with deep devotion in Mithilanchal, Madhesh Province, and in the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand.

This festival is regarded as a symbol of self-purification, discipline, and family well-being through the worship of the Sun and Chhath Mata.