The rituals
The rituals are rigorous, strict and continue for four days. Day 1: On the first day, the devotees take bath in the river and prepare sweets at home for offering. They cook in new utensils and use cow dung cakes for fire. The whole house is cleaned and decorated.
Day 2: The devotees observe fast for whole day which is broken in the evening with a feast of rice pudding, puris (wheat flour puffs), fruits and sweets.
Day 3: On the third day the devotees go on strict fast for more than 36 hours during which they don’t even drink water. Whole day at home, they prepare food and sweets for offering. In the evening, they go to the river where they take bath and stand in the water with half body in water for a long time offering prayers to the setting Sun.
Day 4: This is the final and grand festival day. The devotees again go to the river bank to pray and make offerings to the rising sun, this time. Chhath is celebrated at the crack of dawn on the river bank. It is a mesmerising and magical scene. Thousands of devotees with their families and friends gather on the banks of the river. They play folk music and burst crackers on this occasion. The devotees break their fast at the end of the celebration and sweets and offerings are given away to friends and family.
The atmosphere during chhath seems like a carnival full of joy and colour. Loud folk music is played everywhere. Everyone wears new colourful cloths on this occasion. Huge crowds of dancing and singing people together go to the banks of the river. The banks are cleaned and decorated for the festival. The streets are decorated with lights and flowers. All kinds of socio- economin differences and barriers are forgotten during this time and people from every strata of society come together to celebrate Chhath.
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