Hyderabad: As many as 20,000 people celebrated Chhath puja at 26 water bodies in the city on Saturday. The grounds around these water bodies, desolate till the afternoon, were teeming with people, particularly women, who offered prayers, as the sun reached the western horizon. Chhath Puja is one of the most-revered festivals in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, wherein sandhya arghdaan is offered to the sun god. The four-day long Chhath puja celebrations began on October 31.
“During this festival, we worship the sun god. This is the only occasion when both the rising and setting sun are worshipped. On the days the festival lasts, all devotees turn vegetarian and refrain from eating out as well,” said Mousumi Sharma, a resident of the city, present among the multitude celebrating near the Sanjeevaiah Park.
While it is said that the pious must fast for three-days of the festival, only one or two members of each family do so for the entire duration of the festival, Sharma stated. “The government has extended its full support to ensure this festival is conducted without any hassles,” said Alok Sharma, co-convener of Jan Seva Sangh.
Similar scenes were witnessed at the 1 EME Centre temple in Sainikpuri, where a pond was decked up for the festivity. “Women of the community perform argh (offering) to the setting sun. We will continue with the festivities on Sunday morning.
These prayers are taking place along 26 lakes across the city, from Karmanghat to Uppal. Women perform the puja to the sun god standing in the water body up to their waists,” said Parmanand Sharma, chairman of the Chhath puja committee.
