Happy Chhath Puja Image 2018

My best of pictures from Chhath Puja celebration in Bihar -

Chhath Puja Celebration in Bihar : THE FESTIVAL OF ALMIGHTY SUN

This is one of the most ancient festival of Hindus mostly celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Chhath Puja spans across four days worshipping Sun god and his wife Usha. Puja is marked by offering prayers to the Sun god, fasting and taking dips into the holy waters of Ganges.
The four days of worship in Chhath are:

Nahay Khay :

The women who worship the Chhath Puja takes bath in the river, most preferably Ganges and carries home the holy water of Ganges. The women keeps fast (Vrata) and takes meal only once on this day in evening. Some even carry the holy water and use it while cooking.

Lohanda and Kharna :

It is the second day of Chhath Puja celebration. Women fast for a complete day and end eat in the evening after sunset. They stay away from food and water for 36 hours after eating kheer (a sweet made of rice and milk) as a prasad on second day.

Sandhya Arghya :

On this day, prasad is prepared and the whole family accompanies women to the bank of any large water body in the evening along with multiple baskets of Prasad mainly fruits, coconut and Thekua (sweet made of whaeat). Here, the offerings are made to the setting sun with water from river. This day is more like carnival because of whole city gathers on bank of river for pooja, its like a carnival.

Usha Arghya or Morning Offerings :

On the last day of Puja, the devotees with family go to the river before sunrise around 3-4 AM morning so that they can do offerings to rising Sun. Women break the fast on this last day and then festival comes to its end. After that, the prasad is distributed to everybody which mainly consist seasonal fruits and Thekua.