Chhath Puja, which is a four days festival celebrated as per the Hindu-vedic tradition, celebrated in different parts of Dehradun and across the Uttarakhand as well. As we know that the festival is being celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month. In which devotees worship the Sun god for prosperity, well being and happiness in life. It is originally being celebrated in Bihar and Eastern UP. This is first festival in the world where devotees offer first Ardhya (holy water either mix with cow milk or not) to setting sun, which means respect to elders, and will culminate by offering Ardhya to rising sun. On Sunday entire banks of the river were flooded with the devotees and even politician were seen roaming along with banks. As if in view of upcoming assembly election they don’t want to leave any stone unturned. Purvanchalis living in a large number in the city areas as well as in the rural areas, they influence the result of several constituencies of the politically important district having as many as 11 seats in the 70-member Assembly.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat visited Tapkeshwar temple, Nehru colony, Rajiv nagar chowk and Maldevta as well. He also greeted all the devotees and wishes too. He assured that by next year he would make more arrangement for them. Even he has asked the officials to make a proposal for Chhath park so that devotees would get better facility than now.
Due to paucity of time and increased travel expense migrant Bihar and eastern UP started celebrating this festival across the nation and Uttarakhand as well. Seeing full devotion of the devotees other people have also started copying it and even state government has declared gazetted holiday on this occasion. Sensing their sentiment MlAs even Chief Minister Harish Rawat was seen greeting the people and paid obeisance to setting sun with full sincerity.
AS we know that the four days long festival begins after four days of Diwali and this year being celebrated between November 4-7. On November 4 or first day i.e. called Nahai-Khai (after cleaning everything devotees bath preferably in river) devotees clean their house and washed the wheat as well. Thereafter they consumed rice, pulse of gram and vegetables of pumpkin. Next day is called Kharna –devotees prepare pious (kheer) in juice of sugarcane by putting milk and roti, which made up of wheat flour. On third days devotees and their family member keep busy herself in preparing Prasad (made of wheat flour by mixing gud or sugar as per their taste) and offer all fruits either beneath the ground or above. On the fourth day intervening night devotees don’t sleep and they prepare fresh Prasad to offer rising sun. After offering the ardhya to rising sun the four days long chhath puja will end on Monday.
It is being believed that if you don’t maintain piousness or self restricition then Chhath Mai will punish you immediately so devotees do everything with utmost sincerity.