City all set to celebrate Chhath Puja

Bhubaneswar: After two years of Covid-induced restrictions, preparations are in full swing to observe Chhath Puja rituals in the city on Sunday.The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cleaned the river banks and made elaborate arrangements near water bodies for the devotees to observe Chhath rituals. During the four-day festival, devotees worship the Sun God seeking happiness and prosperity for their families. On Sunday evening, they will offer arghya to the Sun God standing in waist-deep water.“Due to Covid restrictions, we had observed Chhath rituals in an artificial tank at our house. Since there are no restrictions this year, Bihari people will go to the water bodies to perform the rituals and worship the Sun God and pray for peace and prosperity,” said Anju Kumari, a homemaker. Hundreds of devotees will throng various water bodies and river banks to pay obeisance to the rising and setting sun in the next two days. BMC mayor Sulochana Das on Saturday visited the banks of the Kuakhai river and directed officials to make arrangements so that devotees could observe the festival in a hassle-free manner. “During Chhath Puja, devotees don’t pollute the water bodies. Rather they pay homage to the Sun God standing in waist-deep water. We have cleaned the place and asked the roads and buildings department to build a temporary path for the devotees,” said the mayor. Many devotees said that in the last two years they missed the way the festival was celebrated along with other people. “Chhath is an important festival of people from Bihar, Jharkhand as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh. The puja holds great importance in our lives and we celebrate it with great devotion. Chhath is a way to thank the Sun God, the powerhouse of energy for showering its blessings on earth. In the last two years, we observed rituals on our rooftops and backyards and missed the community gathering,” said Kishore Jha, a businessman from Bihar staying here for over 15 years.