Chhath Puja celebrations ended on October 28 on Saptami Tithi of Kartik Shukla Paksha. Devotees in large numbers marked Usha Arghya at several ghats on Tuesday, concluding the four-day Chhath puja festivities.
On the last day of Chhath Puja, devotees were seen performing rituals and making offerings to the rising Sun. River banks were flooded with devotees who gathered in the early hours of Tuesday morning to witness the rising Sun and perform pooja.
On this occasion, devotees pray to the Sun God ‘Surya’ and Chhathi Maiya and seek blessings for their family’s prosperity and well-being. On October 25, the Chhath Mahaparv “Nahay-Khay” festivities kicked off on Chaturthi Tithi. It was followed by Kharna on Panchami Tithi and Chhath Puja on Sashti.
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan and his family were spotted at the Tons River ghat in Premnagar. They offered Arghya first to the setting sun and later to the rising sun.
The last day of Chhath Puja was celebrated with great fervor on Tuesday as the people of Bihar thronged the collector’s Ghat of Patna. They offered flowers and fruits to mark Usha Arghya in knee-deep water.
Moving on to the Chhath Puja celebrations in Delhi, the Hathi Ghat of the ITO was also illuminated as devotees joyfully celebrated the festival. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also attended the function and said, “I am fortunate to have attended Chhati Maiya worship and we all enjoyed this grand Chhath festival,” reported ANI.
In Telangana, a large number of devotees gathered at Tank Bund in Hyderabad to perform Chhath Puja.
What will happen to Usha Arghya?
On the last day of Chhath puja, devotees return to the water body before dawn to offer the morning Arghya to the rising Sun. This year it was scheduled at 6:30 AM while Shashthi Tithi ended at 7:59 AM on October 28. After the final offering, devotees break a 36-hour fast with prasad and water, a ritual known as Parana. This means successful completion of Vrat.
