Disaster response forces deployed at water bodies for Chhath Puja; Bihar CM greets devotees

Disaster response forces deployed at water bodies for Chhath Puja; Bihar CM greets devotees

Patna, Elaborate arrangements have been put in place with divers and disaster response force personnel stationed at all water bodies in Bihar for the third and fourth days of Chhath Puja, when fasting women offer "arghya" to the sun by standing in knee-deep water.

Disaster response forces deployed at water bodies for Chhath Puja; Bihar CM greets devotees

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday extended greetings to people on the occasion of Sandhya Arghya, the third ritual of the four-day festival.

In a post on X, he prayed that the blessings of the setting sun and Chhathi Maiya bring happiness, peace, prosperity and well-being to everyone's life. "Heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all on the auspicious occasion of Sandhya Arghya, the third ritual of the festival of Chhath. Jai Chhathi Maiya", he wrote on the social media platform.

Millions of devotees will worship Goddess 'Chhathi Maiya' by offering 'arghya' to the setting sun on Sunday at the Ganga and other rivers and water bodies across the state. The second 'arghya' will be offered to the rising sun on Monday, marking the culmination of the four-day festival.

SDRF personnel have been deployed at 254 ghats, while NDRF teams have been stationed at 123 ghats. Moreover, local divers and 'Aapda Mitras' disaster response volunteers have been deployed at 12,806 ghats across the state.

The primary objective is to ensure the safety of devotees amid large gatherings at water bodies during the festival and facilitate prompt rescue and relief operations in case of any emergency.

"All ghats are ready for the Chhath puja festival. Adequate arrangements have been made in Patna. All permanent ghats are connected to the riverfront, ensuring that devotees will not face any inconvenience reaching there.

"We have also issued advisories for the Chhath Puja, which visitors and devotees must follow. Officials have also been directed to ensure devotees face no inconvenience," said a senior official of the Patna district administration.

The four-day auspicious occasion began on November 13 with the 'nahay-khay' ritual and will conclude on November 16. It is observed on the sixth day of Kartik Shukla and six days after Diwali. On this day, worshippers honour 'Chhathi Maiya' and the sun god, and seek their blessings.

Day one of the festival is called Nahai Khai, which begins with devotees taking a holy dip in rivers and ponds. The next day, they observe a day-long fast, which is broken in the evening after praying to the sun and the moon.

On the third day, devotees visit water bodies and offer 'argya' to the setting sun. The festival concludes the next day, with devotees offering prayers to the rising sun.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.