Chhath is celebrated six days after Diwali with the worshiping of the sun. It is primarily celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Nepal between October and November to bring peace and prosperity in the family.
Chatham is a day of fasting and reverence especially for married women who dedicate the offering of flowers, fruits and delicacies along with water to Lord Surya (Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya.
It starts on the Chaturthi of Shukla Paksha, and is celebrated till Saptami Tithi. It starts with ‘Nahay Khay’ and ends with ‘Usha Arghya’, which is the last day of Chhath on Friday, 20 November. On this day, Vratis eat satvik food.
On the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, the corporation of Delhi and Mumbai have decided to ban the entry to women near water bodies like riverbanks, sea, lakes, etc as river water is key element for worship rituals.
In Bihar where the festival is of extreme importance, the government has arranged for certain demarcated lakes to be cleaned up for the occasion and only the lake with proper barricades will be open to devotees. There should be no breach of physical distancing rules, especially so while offering argha. Those who can follow the rituals at home are urged to do so.
