Four-day celebrations of Chhath Puja begin today

The four-day celebrations of Chhath Puja have begun in Bihar with the traditional Nahay Khay ceremony.

The devotees in Muzaffarpur gathered on the banks of rivers in the state. In Bihar, the authorities have made elaborate arrangements at various Sun temples.

This year, the festival is being celebrated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and many devotees said that they prayed to Chhathi Maiyya to keep everyone safe from the virus.

"I am keeping fast without water for four days. We will pray to Chhathi Maiyya to keep everyone safe from COVID-19," says Rinku Devi, a devotee, after taking a dip in the river.

Chhath Puja will conclude on Saturday morning after paying oblation to the rising Sun.

The Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar which also happens to be the fourth day after Diwali.

As per the Hindu tradition, devotees worship the Sun God and his wife Usha to express gratitude and seek their blessings.

Day one of the festival is called Nahai Khai, which begins with devotees taking the holy dip in Ganga River.

On the next day, devotees observe a full-day fast which is completed in the evening after praying to the sun and the moon during sunset.

Third day is called 'pehla argha' or 'saandhya argha'. The devotees and their families go to the river bank and offer prasad to the Sun God during sunset and pray for happiness and prosperity.

On the fourth and the last day, which is the also is known as 'doosra argha', devotees offer their prayers to the Sun God on the river banks before the sunrise and conclude their fast and eat special prasad and delicacies made for the festival.