Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day after Diwali. This harvest festival is dedicated to the Sun God and Goddess Chhathi Maiya and spans a period of four days. This year Chhath celebrations commenced from Tuesday, Novemvember 17. UP Govt has declared a public holiday for Chhath Puja from this year.

Taking the Holy Dip

Chhath Puja is performed to thank Sun God who is believed to be the primeval force sustaining life on Earth by taking a holy dip at sun rise and sun set offering prayers.

A huge Chhath Kund has been dug up to facilitate the devotees offering Arghya at Noida stadium by the Noida Authority and Pravasi Mahasangh. The 125-feet long, 70-feet wide and 2.5-feet deep pond is bigger than the one last year reported by a leading daily. Around 8000-10000 devotees expected this Chhath to take the holy dip.

Other smaller ponds have also been dug up near Hindon river, Okhla Barrage, Sanatan Dharm Mandir, Chhotepur Chhajarsi, Rajat Vihar Sector 62, Sector 31 temple, Sector 22 temple in front of ESI hospital, Sector 20 Hanuman Mandir among others.

Chhath Puja Festive Shopping

Noida Markets are flooded with Puja Samagri – assortment of vegetables and fruits, pineapples, sugarcane, bunches of bananas, earthen pots, diyas, cane baskets and winnows – for the ongoing Chhath Puja. One would love the exuberant market scene at Harola Bazaar in sector 8, Atta Market and Indra market of sector 27 and Bhangel. In spite of a 20-30 per cent increase in prices this year, people thronged these markets for festive shopping.

Chhath Mahotsav 2015 at Noida Stadium

Earlier during the weekend Chhath Mahotsava 2015 was organized by Pravasi Mahasangh at Noida Stadium. The cultural festival, a recursor to the actual festivities, was inaugurated by Noida Authority chairman Shri Rama Raman. Union Cabinet Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, MLA Vimla Batham were among the dignitaries who graced the celebrations. Bhojpuri singers Malini Awasthi, Manoj Tiwari, Dinesh Lal Yadav, Sharda Sinha among many others mesmerised nearly one lakh people gathered for Chhath celebrations in Noida stadium.

A large number of devotees celebrate Chhath in Noida. The city is bestowed with the river banks of two rivers – Yamuna and Hindon. We wonder how wonderful it would have been if the devotees could take the holy dip in the clean rivers as is traditionally done to offer Araghya to the Sun God. The banks of the river could be developed to serve as a socio-cultural tourist spot too.Wishing this mannat of ours and everyone fulfilled soon by next Chhath Puja. Have a blessed festival, all!