Chhath: Kharna observed, Jamshedpur police on strict vigil

Jamshedpur, Nov. 9: The city is gripped with festive fervor in view of Chhath festival. On Tuesday, another ritual Kharna was observed, followed by main offerings of argya to the Sun god on Wednesday.

Chhath, celebrated six days after Diwali, is dedicated to the sun god. During the festival, married women observe a fast for 36 hours and devotees offer wheat, milk, sugar cane, bananas and coconuts to the sun.

In Jamshedpur alone, hundreds of roadside vendors, mostly poor men and women, sold these items. “Bamboo baskets in different shapes, locally known as soop, tokri are being used by devotees,” Devi said.

Another devotee, dressed in a new cotton sari, said: “We first took a bath to clean ourselves before preparing food to mark the beginning of the Chhath festival.” She said the age-old “ritual of Nahai-Khai — preparing of traditional food — is a symbol of purity and strict discipline during the next phase of the festival”.

A devotee is a `varti` – the one who performs the Chhath prayers and follows other rituals. It is a festival associated with faith, purity and devotion to the Sun god. Colourful idols of the Sun god riding his chariot with seven horses, a new attraction this year, were sold on riverbanks, which were cleaned up and decorated by the devotees.

The administration along with dozens of voluntary organisations worked round-the-clock to clean the roads leading up to the banks of rivers and water bodies. District authorities have declared `ghats` in the city unsafe and dangerous.

According to the outfit officials, several business families, largely those residing in the Jugsalai Municipal Area and Bistupur, have come forward to extend support to the organization in their pursuit to assist the economically poor Chhat devotees.

Meanwhile the district traffic police have banned the entry of heavy vehicles from 12 midnight today to 9 am tomorrow.

“It is believed that women desirous of getting a son are generally the ones to perform the puja. However, anybody can wish for anything. The rituals in Chhath are regarded as one of the most difficult due to its strict rules and regulations. Even a minor mistake in the rituals can have a negative impact,” said Usha Rani Shukla, a vrati performing Chhath for over 20 years.

Every preparation in the puja has to be separate. Women make handmade stoves ‘chulha’ on which they make the ‘prasads’ to offer to the Sun God. Those on fast slept on the floor and abstained from all material comforts till the second arghya was offered. The family of the ‘vrati’ is not allowed to consume non-vegetarian food till the second arghya. The arghya could be offered in rivers, ponds and lakes. However flowing water is preferable for the ritual as it is considered sacred.