Nagaland
Chhath Puja celebrated with religious fervour in Dimapur
DIMAPUR — Chhath Puja, the premier festival of north India, was celebrated with religious fervour in Dimapur on Sunday.
The celebration witnessed the participation of thousands of people from Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of north India.
The devotees thronged the banks of Dhansiri River near Urra village, behind ISBT, and elsewhere and paid obeisance (Sandhya Arghya) to the setting sun, stated an update from Nagaland Bhojpuri Samaj (NBS).
Clad in traditional attires and carrying bamboo baskets full of fruits, sweets and other preparations made of whole wheat, the devotees reached the riverbanks and prayed to the Sun God till sunset.
Chhath festival is celebrated as a thanksgiving to the Sun God for giving the bounties of life on earth and for the fulfilment of the wishes of believers. It is a festival of reverence to the solar deity, the only festival in the world where devotees offer salutations to the setting sun and then again end with offering prayers to the rising Sun the following morning.
The NBS and Nagaland Bihar Samaj, respectively, made elaborate arrangements at the banks of the Dhansiri River near Urra village and behind ISBT for the Chhath devotees.
The NBS expressed gratitude to the Ura Village Council, police, SDRF and well-wishers for all their support and cooperation during the Chhath Puja celebrations.