Devotees Observe Chaiti Chhath
Patna: April 11, 2008
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Chaiti Chhath Observed
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Photo by Shashi Uttam |
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Devotees in Patna on Friday observed Chaiti Chhath at various ghats in Patna by offering 'arghya', or prayers to the Sun god, in the evening amidst chanting of Chhath-related songs and hymns while also taking dips in the Ganges.
Crowd at Collectorate Ghat, Anta Ghat, Mahendru Ghat, Gandhi Ghat, Rani Ghat and a number of ghats between Patna City and Digha started to swell from early afternoon as devotees carrying the traditional 'soop' marched to the holy river to offer prayers to the setting sun.
As always, those who could not make it to the Ganges offered 'arghya' in make-shift water tanks and nearby ponds.
Earlier, the administration, with the help of private organizations and individuals, cleaned up roads leading to various ghats and posted security officials to manage crowd and keep the trouble-makers off the streets.
Reports from Mumbai, where separatists leaders like Bal and Raj Thackeray have vowed to keep Biharis out of Maharashtra and not allow celebration of Chhath at the beaches of the tinsel town, were encouraging as thousands of people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh gathered at the beaches ignoring the threats from the two extremist outfits.
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