Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Nov 17: The all important Chhath festival gets underway on Wednesday, November 18. Devotees are bracing up to offer their prayers that include rituals that require utmost piety, a tradition that has been followed through time immemorial. But with the Jharkhand government’s department of disaster management issuing Chhath guidelines that also prevent observance of Chhath rituals on banks of rivers, dams, lakes and ponds have dampened the spirits of all Chhath Puja observers. Two rituals, the Sandhya Arghya (prayers to the setting sun) and Udayman Arghya (prayers to the rising sun) are very important and are performed by devotees on the banks of rivers and ponds. The ban on these two all important rituals that epitomize Chhath has come as a dampener. Though various political parties including the ones in the ruling combine, individuals and Chhath puja organizers have urged the government to revise the ruling on prayers on banks of water bodies, no confirmation has come through from government sources till the time of writing this report.
The Avenue Mail spread out to different city areas meeting devotees individually and collectively as also Chhat Puja organizers to feel the pulse on the eve of commencement of Chhath Utsav. Malini Devi of Bhuinyadih Basti who has been observing Chhath since the past three decades said, “This is the first time that I am hearing of prohibition on offering prayers at the Ghats. With the Sandhya and Udayman Arghya the whole process of Chhath will remain incomplete as these two rituals cannot be performed at any place else. I fervently hope that the Jharkhand Sarkar reconsiders the ruling.”
Monika Mahapatra of Adityapur is another regular Chhat Puja observer. She observed, “The state government’s norm comes as a dampener although I agree that the government has implemented the ruling with greater interest of the community in mind. There is always the fear of infection when many people get together at the river banks. But the dusk and dawn prayers should be permitted at community ponds where the rush can be controlled and where only the people of the locality will be present to offer their prayers. Social distancing and wearing of masks can be easily implemented under such circumstances. Moreover, each colony resident knows the others and thus, performing Arghyas at pond banks is safe. I just hope the state government revises its guidelines on this issue.”
Speaking to Chaitan Bhagat of Marine Drive Colony in Sonari, one gathered that it was heartbreaking for Chhat observers of the Basti as the Swarnrekha River bank and the Domohani were so close yet had been put beyond reach by the state government’s stricture. Chaitanya said, “There are many including me who have been observing Chhat Parv for years. The whole exercise will go in vain if the evening and morning prayers to the sun are not performed on the banks of water bodies. These rituals have been practiced through generations and if there is a break, the devotee will feel a sense of incompleteness and foreboding.”
There are many Chhath devotees who reside in congested localities and have no access to roofs or courtyards as the rented apartments do not have such provisions. These devotees especially are in a Catch-22 situation. They cannot go to ponds as there are none nearby and neither can they go to riverbanks. In any case, performing Arghya on the banks of water bodies has been put a lid to by state government orders. But necessity has always been the mother of invention. Many have already prepared artificial water banks in the courtyards of their homes and still others who have gone in for the same mode on a community basis. Bhagwati Sharan Upadhyay, a member of the Chhath Puja Organizing Samiti in a housing complex at Sakchi Ambagan Area informed, “Though a bit demoralized, we, the residents are up to the task. The sanctity of Chhath Utsav cannot be deviated from. We have contributed to the purchase of five large, inflatable tubs which we have placed on three roof tops and two of them have been placed in the central yard. They will be filled with water and the devotees will be able to perform the two Arghyas at these points along with maintaining social distancing. Of course, all will be wearing masks while performing the rituals at these artificial water bodies’ banks.”
No doubt, tubs of various sizes, material and make are being sold like hot cakes. This year has seen to the addition of these artificial sources of water bodies along with the traditional earthen lamps, fruits, vegetables and flowers and bamboo baskets and sups. The ‘never say die’ attitude of man is reflected in the solemnity of the pious occasion like Chhath Puja where faith of devotees is unwavering. Perhaps, artificial water bodies are one more addition to tradition unless the state government thinks otherwise. The Chhath spirit of devotees may be dampened but they remain undeterred.
