Setting sun being worshiped

Kathmandu: The setting sun will be worshiped this evening, one of the most important days of the Chhath festival. Accordingly, most of the ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers in Terai Madhes including Janakpurdham have been cleaned up and decorated as a worshipping sites.

The banks of the main pond of Janakpurdham sub-metropolitan city, Ganga Sagar, have been decorated and the preparations for the pooja have been completed.

Local youth clubs have set up tents and pandals for the Chhath Pooja. In addition to Gangasagar, the Dhanushsagar, Angraj Sar, Dasharath Lake, Janaki Sarovar, Gordhoi, and Agnikunda have been decorated by local youth clubs in Janakpurdham.

Chhath is also considered one of the major festivals for the people of the Mithila region. Preparations for the Chhath festival start a week before. This festival starts on the day of Kartik Shukla Chaturthi and ends on the day of Kartik Shukla Saptami Tithi, says Pandit Ramkumar Shastri.

Sun god is especially worshiped in this festival. It is believed that the tradition of sun worship in Hinduism has existed since the Vedic period. This festival is celebrated by all sections of society together.

According to Pandit Shastri, kheer or rice pudding made with molasses is offered as prasad to the gods and goddesses and rice pudding is accepted as prasad by the fasting person as well as other members of the family.

Traditionally, all the members of the family fasting usually stay awake at the bank of the pond throughout the night. Meanwhile, consumers have been hit hard after the prices of goods used in Chhath have skyrocketed.

Bananas, coconuts, sugarcane, radish, lemons, apples, oranges, molasses, as well as bamboo items are used during the Chhath festival and the price of most of them has increased of late.

This festival will be concluded after offering curd (Arghu) to the rising sun the next day on Monday morning, (31 October)/RSS