Bhubaneswar: With a view to ensure a safe and secure environment for the upcoming Chhath Puja in the city, the civic body in association with Kuakhai Chhath Puja Samiti, Thursday organised a cleanliness drive around the Kuakhai river.
Besides the cleaning work, barricading was also done to manage the devotees assembling at the venue. In addition, efforts were also taken to provide adequate toilet facilities at the festivity site.
Usually, the Bihari community and others in the city observe the Chhath Puja at the Kuakhai river. Officials are expecting that thousands of people will assemble on the bank of the river for the rituals. A top BMC official informed ORISSA Post that they have taken all the necessary measures to avoid any stampede.
As per the traditions, Chhath is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival native to the Madhesh province and Mithila regions of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. Chhath Puja is associated with the worship of the Sun God and his wife Usha expressing gratitude to them for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and also to pray for grant of certain wishes. In fact, Chhath does not involve any idol worship. This festival is observed by Nepalese and Indian people, along with their diaspora.
The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water (which together are known as Vrat), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prasad and arghya to the rising and setting sun. Some devotees also perform a prostration march as they head for the river banks.
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