Chhath begins with Nahay Khaay, Jamshedpur resonates with ritual purity

Jamshedpur: The auspicious four-day festival of Chhath, dedicated to the worship of the Sun God (Surya Dev) and Chhathi Maiya, began on Saturday with the traditional ritual of Nahay Khaay. The day marked the beginning of one of the most spiritually significant and environmentally rooted festivals of the region, celebrated with deep devotion, purity, and discipline across Jharkhand.

From early morning, devotees thronged rivers, ponds, and water bodies across Jamshedpur to take the sacred bath and commence the ritual observance. At Domuhani ghat, Swarnarekha ghat, Hudco Lake, and other traditional sites, men and women could be seen offering prayers to the Sun before returning home to prepare the sanctified meal marking the first day of Chhath.

The Nahay Khaay ritual involves devotees—particularly women, known as vratees—bathing in holy water and preparing a single meal made with utmost purity. The traditional menu includes rice, bottle gourd (lauki), and gram dal cooked in clay or bronze utensils on a clay stove using mango wood. The food, cooked without salt, onion, or garlic, is first offered to the deity and then consumed by the vratee, signifying purification of the body and mind and readiness for the rigorous fasting ahead.

Throughout the day, homes were cleaned and decorated, and the aroma of traditional food filled the air. Markets in Sakchi, Bistupur, Mango, and Baridih witnessed heavy rush, as devotees purchased daura, soop, bamboo baskets, fruits, coconuts, sugarcane, new clothes, and other essentials for the upcoming rituals. Sweet shops also saw brisk business, with demand for thekua, malpua, and jaggery-based delicacies rising sharply.

Meanwhile, the district administration has geared up to ensure safe and smooth celebrations. The Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee and local municipal bodies have started cleaning drives and lighting arrangements at major ghats including Domuhani, Swarnarekha, Baroda Ghat, and Subarnarekha Bridge area. Adequate security personnel, divers, and NDRF teams are being deployed to prevent mishaps. Barricades, medical camps, and temporary toilets are also being set up for devotees’ convenience.

District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi reviewed preparations at prominent ghats earlier this week and directed officials to ensure cleanliness, proper lighting, drinking water, and crowd management. He also instructed that volunteers and disaster response teams remain alert throughout the four-day celebration.

Religious organizations and local committees have taken up voluntary work at ghats, distributing food and water to devotees and assisting in maintaining order. The spirit of community participation was visible everywhere as local residents joined hands with civic bodies to prepare the ghats and surroundings.

The festival will continue with Kharna , when devotees observe a day-long fast without water and break it in the evening after offering kheer, gur, and chapati to Chhathi Maiya. The following day,  devotees will offer the first Arghya to the setting Sun, and on Tuesday morning, the festival will conclude with the offering of Usha Arghya to the rising Sun, marking the end of the fast.