The North Indian community in Pune came together on Monday evening to celebrate the sacred festival of Chhath Mahaparv with great devotion and enthusiasm at Balewadi High Street. At exactly 5:15 pm, devotees offered Sandhya Arghya (evening offering) to the setting sun, marking the third and most important day of the four-day ritual.
Many of the devotees originally hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They followed their rituals, expressing gratitude to the land that has embraced them.
Chhath Puja, which is celebrated six days after Diwali, is one of the most spiritually rigorous festivals dedicated to Lord Surya and his sister Chhathi Maiya. The festival symbolises prayers for the prosperity, health and longevity of family members, and it reflects harmony with nature - water, air and sunlight.
The first day of the festival, Nahay-Khay, involves a ritual bath and purification; the second day, Kharna, includes fasting and offering kheer and fruits as prasad. Today’s celebration marked the Sandhya Arghya, where devotees offered prayers to the setting sun - a symbolic expression of gratitude. A small artificial pond was created at the venue for the traditional ritual. The festival will conclude tomorrow morning when devotees will offer water to the rising sun.
This year’s event was organised with the support of former corporator Amol Balwadkar, who generously provided the ground and made all arrangements.
Pune Police Joint Commissioner Ranjan Sharma’s wife, Abhakiran Sharma, graced the occasion. Several community members, including Sangeeta Tiwari, Arvind Singh and Shweta Pandey, participated in the puja and later extended gratitude to everyone present.
