As dawn broke through grey clouds on Tuesday, women draped in bright sarees and glittering jewellery stood in knee-deep water along the Gomti river to offer ‘Usha Arghya (offering of water to the rising sun) to the rising sun, marking the culmination of the four-day Chhath Puja celebrations and their 36-hour ‘nirjala’ (waterless) fast. Resting umbrellas beside them, they lifted soop (bamboo trays) filled with fruits, sugarcane, and coconuts as offerings to thank the Sun God and Chhathi Maiyya for health, prosperity, and family well-being.
The ghats along the river reverberated with Bhojpuri folk songs as women sang devotional hymns, and the aroma of incense mixed with the scent of wet earth after light overnight rain. Some devotees had stayed awake through the night, while others arrived before dawn to perform the final rituals. Despite the overcast sky hiding the sun, the faithful continued their prayers, believing that divine blessings transcend visibility.
Children and men carried Daura (bamboo baskets) filled with fruits, coconuts, and Thekuas (sweet puris) for the rituals. Once the Arghya was offered, women ended their 36-hour fast by tasting Thekuas and fruits, symbolising the completion of purity and devotion.
At an artificial pond near her home, Hemlata Tripathi said, “It was Chhathi Maiyya’s blessings that helped us complete all rituals peacefully. Every year, we feel her divine presence while observing this fast.”
At Jhulelal Park, Shikha Singh, a teacher dressed in a red silk saree, spoke of faith fulfilled. “Last year, I prayed for a good husband, and within a few months, I got married. The fast seemed difficult at first, but Chhathi Maiyya gave me the strength to complete it with devotion,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}At Jhulelal Park, Shikha Singh, a teacher dressed in a red silk saree, spoke of faith fulfilled. “Last year, I prayed for a good husband, and within a few months, I got married. The fast seemed difficult at first, but Chhathi Maiyya gave me the strength to complete it with devotion,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Priyanka Singh, 28, and Anil Kumar, 30, a couple working for a software firm in Pune, travelled to Lucknow especially for the festival. “We could not come home during Diwali, but I wanted my husband to experience the serenity of Chhath. We offered prayers together, clicked photos, and spent some peaceful moments by the river,” said Priyanka, watching diyas drift gently downstream with the morning light.
Across the city, ghats such as Jhulelal Park, Kudiya Ghat, and Samta Mulak Park witnessed large gatherings of devotees despite intermittent rain.
Chhath Puja, observed mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and his consort Chhathi Maiyya. The four-day festival includes holy bathing, fasting without water, and offering prayers at sunrise and sunset, reflecting gratitude to nature and the divine forces believed to sustain life on earth.