After subdued celebrations last year, hundreds pay obeisance to the Sun god on Chhath Puja

BHOPAL: Women and men stood in chest-deep water to give 'arghya' to the setting sun at the Chhath ghats. With Covid number declining considerably in the state, residents came out in large numbers to celebrate Chhath. After subdued celebrations last year, the enthusiasm bubbled even more this year.
"Every year, the festivities start right after Diwali. We get together and the house is filled with laughter and happiness.Relatives come in and out of the house throughout the day. Last year, we did not see anyone and celebrated the festival from our homes. This year, we are pulling out all stops," said Kavita Kumar, a resident of Bagmugaliya. "Everyone gets together and sings devotional songs as we prepare the prasad for the fast. Everything is home-cooked. Typically, the prasad platter has thekua, fruits, rice laddoos, among other things. The devotees observe a fast of 36 hours during . Fasting is observed to seek blessings for the well-being and happiness of the family," said Misha Sinha, a resident of Kolar Road. There was a grand event at Sheetal Das Ki Bagiya. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the chief guest of the event. Other dignitaries Captain Singh Solanki, former Haryana Governor PC Sharma, former MLA sSurendra Singh Chetan were present. The CM released floating lamp in the water. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on standby to prevent accidents.
(Additional inputs from A Moeed Faruqui)