Bhubaneswar: In order to provide a better ambience, cleanliness and surrounding around Kuakhai river on the city outskirts, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in association with Kuakhai Chhath Puja Samiti, organised night cleaning service last night and cleanliness drive at the site today, during day time.
Besides the cleaning work along the path from the NH to the river bank and sprinkling of bleaching powder along the path, there is designated toilet zone and barricading of the zone to provide privacy to the participants or users.
The Bihari community and others observing the Chhath Puja as per the ritual and annual practice usually go to the Kuakhai river and offer their respect to the Sun God. Thousands of people gathered along the designated bank of the river and took part in the rituals with family members.
As per the traditions, Chhath is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival historically native to the Madhesh province and Mithila region of Nepal and Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh states of India. The Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun and his wife Usha in order to thank them for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. Chhath does not involve any idol worship. This festival is observed by Nepalese and Indian people, along with their diaspora.
The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water (Vrat), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prasad (prayer offerings) and arghya to the setting and rising sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head for the river banks.
Comments are closed.