Thousands of Devotees Offer Arghya to Rising Sun at Hasdeo River — Chhath Mahaparv Concludes with Great Fervour
Korba: The four-day-long festival of faith and devotion — Chhath Mahaparv — concluded on Tuesday morning with the offering of arghya to the rising Sun. On Monday evening, devotees across Korba gathered at various ghats to offer arghya to the setting Sun, while on Tuesday morning, thousands of vratis (devotees) along with their families assembled at the banks of the life-giving Hasdeo River to pay obeisance to the rising Sun God.
The entire atmosphere at the ghats reverberated with devotional songs dedicated to Chhathi Maiya. Traditional hymns such as “Darshan Dehu He Chhathi Maiya,” “Kaanch Hi Baans Ke Bahangiya,” and “Tulsi Ke Chaura Chadhi Baithli Chhathi Maiya” filled the air, creating an ambience of spirituality and joy across the city, suburbs and adjoining villages.
Celebrations Across Major Ghats
The festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm at Dhengurnaala, Hasdeo River near Sarvamangala Temple, Tulsi Nagar Ghat, Mudapar Talab, Shiv Mandir (SECL), Manikpur Pokhari, Balco, Darri, Bankimongra and Gevra–Deepka.
Beautiful decorations, lighting, and fireworks marked the occasion as devotees expressed their joy and reverence. The celebration reflected an extraordinary blend of faith, devotion, and collective harmony.
Vows and Offerings
As part of the rituals, vratis offered a variety of fruits and traditional items including coconut, incense, ghee lamps, and sacred water. Some devotees also took a vow to abstain from eating one of the fruits offered as prasad throughout their lives — a symbolic gesture seeking the prosperity and well-being of their families. Offerings of milk, ghee, curd and various fruits like banana, apple, orange, sugarcane, pomegranate, custard apple and water chestnut were made to the Sun God.
Discipline and Purity at the Core
Anita Devi, a devotee, shared that observing Chhath requires complete purity and discipline. “The fasting is rigorous, but we perform it with joy and devotion. This is a tradition passed down from our ancestors, and we are proud to carry it forward,” she said.
Balco resident Suman Singh recalled the origin of the festival, saying that the ritual dates back to Sita Mata, who first observed the Chhath fast after returning to Ayodhya with Lord Ram following Ravan’s defeat. Since then, the practice has become a symbol of devotion and gratitude towards the Sun God.
36-Hour-long Fast of Devotion
The vratis observe nearly 36 hours of fasting without food or water, offering prayers for the health, happiness and prosperity of their families. With the morning arghya to the rising Sun, the sacred Chhath Mahaparv concluded, followed by distribution of prasad among devotees and family members.
