On the final day of Chhath Puja 2024, a significant crowd of devotees gathered at Mahadev Ghat and other riverbanks and ponds early in the morning to offer Arghya (water offerings) to the rising sun, praying for the prosperity and happiness of their families. Celebrated with enthusiasm across Chhattisgarh, the four-day Chhath festival concludes today with rituals and Prasad distribution following the morning’s offerings.

Devotees brought traditional offerings, including sugarcane, fruits, and the special North Indian sweet “Thekua,” as they worshipped the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya. People of all ages participated, and the ghats were filled with devotees keen to partake in the rituals and receive blessings.

At Raipur’s Mahadev Ghat, women stood in waist-deep water for hours, offering Arghya to the rising sun, while a large crowd gathered at Bilaspur’s Arpa Ghat as well. Devotional songs dedicated to Chhathi Maiya echoed through the ghats as people completed their fast.

On Thursday, devotees also offered Arghya to the setting sun in an evening ritual observed from Patna to Delhi, where ghats were beautifully decorated. Ghats along the Ganges in Patna, as well as in Buxar, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, and Bhagalpur, saw large gatherings, with many even performing the rituals on rooftops and ponds.

Notable political figures participated in the festival as well. Union Health Minister and BJP President JP Nadda attended the Chhath celebrations in Patna, while Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was present among the devotees. In Kolkata, Chhath Puja was observed at Doi Ghat, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also joining the event.