Kathmandu, Oct 27: President Ramchandra Paudel today visited Guheshori, Pashupatinath area and offered arghya (cord and holy water) to the Sun from the bank of the Bagmati River. On the occasion, he reached the area specially prepared for the Chhath Puja celebrations on the riverbank and paid homage to the Sun God and his consort, Chhathi Maiya.
He was accompanied by First Lady Sabita Paudel. Upon his arrival at the area, he was welcomed by National Assembly (NA) Member Bishnu Devi Pudasaini and officials of the Pashupati Area Development Trust.
The four-day Chhath festival is observed enthusiastically with major celebrations (worshipping the Sun) today and tomorrow at various parts of the country. Today, the setting Sun is worshipped and offered arghya, while tomorrow morning, rituals will be held for the rising Sun.
The Bagmati riverbanks in the Guheshwori-Gaurighat area as well as the Thapathali and Kupandol areas have been decorated for the festival, which formally begins on the fourth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Kartik and concludes on the seventh day. Besides the Bagmati River banks, Kamal Pokhari (pond), Ramtirtha in Sanepa, Nakkhu riverbanks, and the Bishnumati riverbanks have also been adorned, and clay idols of Chhathi Maiya set up.
In the Guheshwori area, over 700 Chhath ghats, the places for observing the festival have been built this year, compared to around 600 last year. Devotees have been charged Rs 1,500 per ghat, according to Chhath Puja Committee member Anil Singh.
Devotees who are observing the festival with much reverence and assiduousness stay awake at the Chhath worshipping area from early morning today until next morning that concludes after the arghya offer to the rising Sun.
It is stated in the Surya Purana that one’s wishes will come true by celebrating the Chhath festival. According to mythological accounts, during the era of the Mahabharata, Draupadi and the five Pandavas spent one year in incognito worshipping the Sun, and the celebration of the festival is rooted in the same mythical narration.
