Prayagraj: The four-day festival of Chhath started with the Nahay-Khay ritual on Friday. Several women devotees, along with their families, arrived at the banks of Sangam and Yamuna to begin the festival of worshipping Surya (Sun).A large crowd of devotees was witnessed at Sangam, Ganga, and Yamuna ghats—including Dashashwamedh Ghat, Ram Ghat, Arail Ghat, and Balua Ghat at dawn, taking a holy dip and offering arghya to the Sun god while pledging for the four-day fast and rituals of Chhath.This will be followed by the second-day ritual of Kharna on Saturday wherein devotees make jaggery kheer and offer it to God. After consuming the prasad of Kharna, devotees start nirjala fast for 36 hours. On Nov 15, devotees will offer evening arghya to the setting Sun. Devotees perform the ritual at Sangam and ghats along Ganga and Yamuna or other water bodies.Noted religious scholar Dr Amitabh Gour said, “During Kharna, devotees observe a day-long fast and consume jaggery kheer with roti followed by a 36-hour-long nirjala vrat. On the third day, Sandhya Arghya is offered to Sun with evening prayers at the ghats. The festival concludes with Usha Arghya (morning prayers) to the rising sun at dawn. The devotees then consume prasad, ending their 36-hour-long fast.
