Chhath Puja 2024: Pankaj Tripathi to Gurmeet Choudhary, actors talk about celebrating the festival away from hometown

Chhath Puja is being celebrated in India and actors who are away from hometown in Bihar share how they celebrate the festival in Mumbai.

As the four-day Chhath Puja festival lights up Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh, actors in Mumbai tell Yashika Mathur how they’re keeping traditions alive while far from their roots

Pankaj Tripathi, Gurmeet Choudhary and others speak about Chhath Puja plans.

Pankaj Tripathi: Belsand, Bihar

Pankaj Tripathi says he tries to find a place nearby his sets to perform Chhath Puja.

This year, I am not going back to my village; main Mumbai ke kisi ghat pe chala jaunga. I miss everything about Chhath. Yeh ek samajik tyohaar hai, jisme Nature ke saath, surrounding ki bhumika hai. Main jahan bhi shooting ke dauran rehta hoon, wahan pata kar leta hoon ki Chhath ghat kahan hai, aur udhar ghum aata hoon.

Gurmeet Choudhary: Bhagalpur, Bihar

Gurmeet Choudhary visits Juhu Beach on Chhath Puja every year.

I go to Juhu beach every year with my family; wahan arghya (offering) dena hota hai. Sabse achchi baat hai ki Chhath Puja is celebrated in a very neat and clean way. Debinna (Bonnerjee, wife and actor), I and both our kids went last year. This year too, despite being in the middle of a shooting schedule, I will take the time out to perform the puja.

Saanand Verma: Patna, Bihar

Saanand Verma's Chhath Puja is all about the family time.

Chhath puja bahut difficult tyohaar hai, aur iss wajeh se main nahi kar pata hoon ghar par. Lekin Mumbai mein, Bhayandar Khadi ke paas puja hoti hai aur Juhu beach pe bhi function hota hai. Bohot emotionally attached hoon main Chhath Puja aur Chhath maiyaa se. Itna pavitra tyohaar duniya mein koi hai nahin aur Bohot dil khush ho jaata hai iss puja ki wajah se.

Rajesh Kumar: Gaya, Bihar

Rajesh Kumar has not been celebrating Chhath for three years now.

My mum celebrated Chhath Puja for almost 54 years. When she faced a disease similar to Alzheimer’s, I decided that I would perform the puja myself, but I couldn’t continue for more than three years as I couldn’t find the time due to shooting. Offering arghya (water) to the sun in the morning and paying homage at sunset is the extent of my involvement in Chhath Puja.

Akhilendra Mishra: Siwan, Bihar

For Akhilendra Mishra, Chhath Puja is about remembering memories with his late mother.

As a child, I would accompany my mother during Chhath Puja. So now, I feel connected to her during the festivities. Earlier in Mumbai, I used to visit my friends for Chhath. Now, I try visit Juhu beach to be a part of the festival here, where grand arrangements are made for the puja.