Jamshedpur, Nov. 18: Devotees offered prayers to the Sun God on the last day of the four-day Chhath Puja celebrations in the city on Wednesday, as thousands of housewives along with their families thronged the river banks to offer their prayers before the setting Sun for prosperity and happiness.
The banks of Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers were abuzz with activities as devotees headed towards the �ghats� from Wednesday afternoon.
Numerous devotees offered �araghya� to the setting sun at various ghats in Mango, Adityapur, Baghbera, and Sidghora. However, ghats at Adityapur and Mango,0 like always, witnessed the maximum devotees.
The district administration deployed police personnel and emergency services like ambulance at riverbanks. Several temporary canopies were also put by city-based social and cultural organisations to lend help and essential commodities to the devotees and fast observers.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das too offered �arghya� on the last two days of Chhath. Das reached the Sidhgora-based�Surya Mandir�at around 5.15 a.m.�in the morning to offer prayers to the rising sun. The Chief Minister along with other members of BJP offered milk and water as the �bihaniya arghya� today.
�
“Chhath is an important part of our culture. We pray the Sun God, the source of energy on earth. Moreover, this is a festival which speaks a lot of about women power,” said Das while present at the Surya Mandir in Sidhgora. Das spent about three hours watching all the rituals from the watch tower at the Surya Mandir. Yesterday he was also present to attend the musical programme by playback and bhajan singer Sadhna Sargam and other artists.
It may be mentioned here that Jamshedpur block had received fund for cleanliness of the ghats. Prior to the beginning of the festival, several cleanliness drives were launched near the river banks.
In a bid to help women of weaker section of the society, the Baghbera Mahanagar Vikas Samiti organised a function for over a hundred women who observed a 24-hour fast on the occasion.
Rupesh Pathak, functionary of the samiti, thanked the district administration for support and proper security arrangements at ghats. He informed that prasad was distributed among 40,000 devotees on the occasion of Chhath puja.
“The festival is a way to thank Sun god for giving us energy. Chhath Puja is performed to promote well being, progress and prosperity of the family, relatives and friend,” said Nisha Bajpai, a city housewife.
Devotees after offering salutations to the Sun indulge in singing folklores, hymns from Rig Veda for the better upkeep of their family. One of the popular beliefs associated with the festival is that worshiping Sun help in curing diseases such as leprosy and ensure longevity of family and friends.
A member of the Bhojpuri Sangh said, “The festival which aims at bringing peace and harmony in the family should be celebrated across the country. It is because of the Sun, we are able to survive and live. Hence, worshiping Sun god is a must.”