Patna: Preparations are being done on a war footing for the celebration of Chhath festival in Bihar and other parts of north India under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. There is jubilation among the people in Bihar. The administration of all the districts of Bihar has begun cleaning of bathing ghats on all rivers and ponds and are also making security arrangements.
The four-day Chhath festival, observed by devotees who fast on the occasion, begins on November 18. There will be Kharna pooja on November 19, the first offering of prayers to the setting sun on November 20 and will conclude with prayers to the rising sun on November 21.
The festival is known for its cleanliness drive, done by people. The administration too has begun cleaning all the bathing ghats of rivers and ponds where the devotees would be offering prayers to rising and setting sun. The administration has barricaded all the ghats to avoid any untoward incident as a large number of people are expected to participate in the pooja rituals.
Police on alert
With a view to providing security against theft and unlawful activities by anti-social elements on the ghats on all rivers and ponds in the state, the police has been deployed and kept on alert. The police squads are maintaining a lookout for suspicious people and objects along the ghats which have been barricaded for the management of crowd.
According to the inspector of Pirbahor police station under which Gandhi Ghat falls, the police has been keeping a watch on anti-social elements and thieves who are likely to prey on the devotees who throng the ghat during the festival. Police is also ensuring that no devotee enters deep waters of the Ganga river, lest they drown.
No fair in the wake of COVID
In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the state government has issued strict orders against holding of fairs during the Chhat festival in the campuses of all main temples. This year, the famous Chhat fair at Mahadham Sun temple will not be held.
No fair will be held this year in all the sun temples of Bihar. There are seven sun temples in Bihar. They are: Hadia sun temple (Nawada), Dev sun temple (Aurangabad), Badgaon sun temple (Nalanda), Punyark sun temple (Patna), Kandaha sun temple (Saharsa), Aungari sun temple (Nalanda) and Ular sun temple (Patna).
