Devotees across Bihar are preparing for the Four Day grand religious ceremony of Chhath Puja that would commence from tomorrow with Nahai Khai. Kausalya Devi is one among those millions of devotees who would fast, observe rituals and perform oblations to the sun god during the four-day festival which begins on Saturday.
“I have bought a cotton sari, bamboo basket and other materials for rituals and prayers,” said Kausalya Devi, who helps her husband Ramnaresh Singh run a general store in Patna.
Another devotee Manju Singh here is also eager for Chhath to start.
“It is a festival of purity and devotion,” said the housewife from a posh locality here.
Chhath will began with ‘nahai-khai’. Devotees, mostly married women, will throng to river banks early in the morning for a ritualistic bath, before preparing the traditional meal of boiled rice and pumpkin.
This will be followed by ‘kharna’, when ‘kheer’ will be cooked and distributed among neighbours, friends and relatives.
During the festival, married women observe a fast for 36 hours and devotees offer wheat, milk, sugarcane, bananas and coconuts to the sun.
The Patna administration, along dozens of voluntary organisations, is working round-the-clock to clean and beautify the banks of the Ganga.
But high prices of fruits and vegetables have dampened some of the festive spirit in the city.
“We have bought less vegetables, fruits and milk for Chhath this year,” said Kausalya Devi.