Photos| Chhath Puja 2018: Devotees throng to ghats to pay obeisance to the sun god

Nov 14, 2018 13:16 IST

Thousands of worshippers, mainly women, paid obeisance to the setting sun along the Yamuna riverbank on the occasion of Chhath on Tuesday, as traditional folk songs played in the background. The four-day long Chhath Puja celebrations concluded today after lakhs of people across India and the world paid oblation to the rising sun. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

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Thousands of worshippers, mainly women, paid obeisance to the setting sun along the Yamuna riverbank on the occasion of Chhath on Tuesday, as traditional folk songs played in the background. The four-day long Chhath Puja celebrations concluded today after lakhs of people across India and the world paid oblation to the rising sun. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

A woman takes a dip in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna before worshipping the sun god in New Delhi. The devotees, who observed fast on Tuesday concluded Chhath Puja after offering ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun on Wednesday. (Sunil Ghosh / HT Photo)

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A woman takes a dip in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna before worshipping the sun god in New Delhi. The devotees, who observed fast on Tuesday concluded Chhath Puja after offering ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun on Wednesday. (Sunil Ghosh / HT Photo)

Devotees perform religious rituals on the banks of the Yamuna river in Allahabad. Chhath Parva, also called Chhath puja, Chhath, Chhathi, Dala Chhath and Surya Shasthi is a festival dedicated to the sun god (Surya bhagwan). (Sanjay Kanojia / AF / AFP)

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Devotees perform religious rituals on the banks of the Yamuna river in Allahabad. Chhath Parva, also called Chhath puja, Chhath, Chhathi, Dala Chhath and Surya Shasthi is a festival dedicated to the sun god (Surya bhagwan). (Sanjay Kanojia / AF / AFP)

Devotees lie as they prostrates and performs a ritual in the waters of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. The festival is celebrated mainly in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as well as states, such as, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bhojpuri and Maithili-speaking countries, like, Mauritius. (Francis Mascarenhas / REUTERS)

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Devotees lie as they prostrates and performs a ritual in the waters of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai. The festival is celebrated mainly in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as well as states, such as, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bhojpuri and Maithili-speaking countries, like, Mauritius. (Francis Mascarenhas / REUTERS)

A woman steps over an infant in a ritual seeking blessings for the infant from the sun god during the festival in Kolkata. The challenging fasting is observed by lady folks or married women for the well-being of their sons and the happiness of family members. (Rupak De Chowdhuri / REUTERS)

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A woman steps over an infant in a ritual seeking blessings for the infant from the sun god during the festival in Kolkata. The challenging fasting is observed by lady folks or married women for the well-being of their sons and the happiness of family members. (Rupak De Chowdhuri / REUTERS)

The festival is celebrated on the sixth day after Diwali. The yogic or scientific history of Chhath puja dates back to the Vedic times. The rishis of yesteryear used this method to remain alive without any intake of food; they were able to obtain energy from sunlight. This was done by following the rituals of Chhath puja. (Altaf Qadri / AP)

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The festival is celebrated on the sixth day after Diwali. The yogic or scientific history of Chhath puja dates back to the Vedic times. The rishis of yesteryear used this method to remain alive without any intake of food; they were able to obtain energy from sunlight. This was done by following the rituals of Chhath puja. (Altaf Qadri / AP)

A woman takes part in a ritual at Marina Beach in Chennai. Day one is called Nahai Khai, and on the next day, devotees observe a full-day fast which is completed after praying to the sun and the Moon during sunset. Third day is called ‘pehla argha’ or ‘saandhya argha’ in which devotees and their families go to the river bank and offer prasad to the sun god during sunset and pray for happiness and prosperity. (Arun Sankar / AF / AFP)

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A woman takes part in a ritual at Marina Beach in Chennai. Day one is called Nahai Khai, and on the next day, devotees observe a full-day fast which is completed after praying to the sun and the Moon during sunset. Third day is called ‘pehla argha’ or ‘saandhya argha’ in which devotees and their families go to the river bank and offer prasad to the sun god during sunset and pray for happiness and prosperity. (Arun Sankar / AF / AFP)

A group of devotees perform rituals in the Brahmaputra river, Guwahati. On the last day, which is the also is known as ‘doosra argha’, devotees offer their prayers to the sun god on the river banks before the sunrise and conclude their fast and eat special prasad and delicacies made for the festival. (Anupam Nath / AP)

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A group of devotees perform rituals in the Brahmaputra river, Guwahati. On the last day, which is the also is known as ‘doosra argha’, devotees offer their prayers to the sun god on the river banks before the sunrise and conclude their fast and eat special prasad and delicacies made for the festival. (Anupam Nath / AP)

In New Delhi, traffic snarls were reported in many area of the city as people thronged ghats in the early hours of Wednesday to celebrate ‘Chhath Puja’. About 3,000 traffic police personnel were deployed at around 200 major intersections leading to the ghats, most of them in central, north, east and south-east districts, to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. (Sunil Ghosh / HT Photo)

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In New Delhi, traffic snarls were reported in many area of the city as people thronged ghats in the early hours of Wednesday to celebrate ‘Chhath Puja’. About 3,000 traffic police personnel were deployed at around 200 major intersections leading to the ghats, most of them in central, north, east and south-east districts, to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. (Sunil Ghosh / HT Photo)

Devotees offer prayers to the sun god after taking bath at Juhu Chowpatty in Mumbai. Huge crowds of fasting worshippers accompanied by their family members, relatives and friends thronged to the ghats in all parts of the country. (Satyabrata Tripathy / HT Photo)

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Devotees offer prayers to the sun god after taking bath at Juhu Chowpatty in Mumbai. Huge crowds of fasting worshippers accompanied by their family members, relatives and friends thronged to the ghats in all parts of the country. (Satyabrata Tripathy / HT Photo)

about the gallery

Celebrated from the sixth day (hence called 'Chhath') after Diwali, Chhath Puja is an age-old tradition of paying obeisance to the sun god, and is observed mainly in the regions of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Today is the last day of the festival, also is known as ‘doosra argha’, where devotees offer their prayers to the sun god on the river banks before the sunrise and conclude their fast and eat special prasad and delicacies made for the festival. Here’s a look at the four-day Chhath Puja festivities across the country.

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