Devotees gathered at Haridwar’s Har Ki Pauri for Chhath Puja, offering prayers to the setting sun. BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh lauded the festival as a sacred celebration of nature and expressed hope for its upcoming UNESCO recognition.
Devotees Offer Arghya to Setting Sun at Har Ki Pauri for Chhath Puja
Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], November 15 (ANI): Devotees offered Arghya to the setting sun at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar on Sunday on the third day of the Chhath festival. BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh described the festival as one of the most sacred celebrations of faith. He also expressed confidence that it would soon receive recognition from UNESCO. Highlighting the devotion of those observing the fast, Singh said devotees had gathered along riverbanks after abstaining from food and water for 36 hours.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said, “Chhath is one of the most sacred festivals of faith. This evening, we are worshipping the setting sun, and tomorrow morning, we will worship the rising sun. Our culture’s tradition of worshipping nature encompasses both the setting and the rising—we revere that which sets, just as we revere that which rises. It carries a profound message: that which sets will inevitably rise again. This festival is, in essence, a celebration of nature.”
“On this occasion, those observing the Chhath fast—having gone without food or water for thirty-six hours—have gathered at the riverbanks. This festival is no longer confined to India; it is now celebrated in every corner of the globe. I am confident that it will soon receive recognition from UNESCO. It is not merely a piece of national heritage; its significance is growing rapidly on an international scale,” he said. “Be it on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar or on a riverbank across the seven seas, today belongs to those observing the Chhath fast; there is truly no greater example of nature worship anywhere in the world,” he added.
Chhath Puja is a four-day Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the Sun God, Surya, and Chhathi Maiya. The festival began with Nahay Khay, during which devotees take a holy bath and prepare a traditional meal comprising Arwa rice, chana dal and lauki (bottle gourd). The second day, known as Kharna, involves a fast from sunrise to sunset, which devotees break after offering prayers and preparing traditional prasad, usually comprising jaggery-based kheer and roti. Thereafter, devotees observe a rigorous fast of approximately 36 hours without food or water. On the third day, devotees gather at riverbanks and other water bodies to offer Arghya to the setting sun during Sandhya Arghya. The festival will conclude on the fourth day with Usha Arghya, when devotees offer prayers to the rising sun at dawn. The ritual is followed by Parana, marking the conclusion of the fast. The festival symbolises purity, devotion and gratitude, with devotees seeking blessings for the health, prosperity and well-being of their families. (ANI)