Lakhisarai (Bihar), From homes to markets in Lakhisarai district, preparations for the Chhath festival have intensified. Fasting women and men are busy preparing for the festival. Some are shopping for puja materials, others are busy cleaning their homes and preparing for the ghats.

Chhath festival not only symbolizes religious faith but also conveys the message of social unity, cleanliness, discipline, and respect for nature.

The most significant feature of this festival is that people from all walks of life participate together, without any discrimination. Rich and poor, young and old, all worship Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya with devotion.
According to folk tradition, special attention is paid to purity and rules during the Chhath fast. This is why a virtuous atmosphere begins to develop in homes even before the festival begins.

The grand Chhath festival begins tomorrow, Friday, November 13th, with Nahay-Khaay. According to tradition, pumpkin rice, gram dal, and other sattvik dishes are prepared on the day of Nahay-Khaay. Special attention is paid to cleanliness and purity in food preparation. From this day onwards, devotees begin observing the rules of the rigorous four-day ritual.

Kharna will be observed on Saturday, November 14th. On this day, devotees will fast the entire day and then bathe in the evening and worship Lord Surya. Following this, prasad of jaggery kheer and roti will be prepared.

After the puja, devotees will partake of the Kharna prasad, which will be distributed among family and nearby people. After Kharna, devotees begin a 36-hour Nirjala fast. During this time, they abstain from food and water.

The third day of Chhath festival will be on Sunday, November 15th. Special preparations will be made for the evening offering of Arghya. The devotees and their family members will reach the ghats carrying bamboo baskets, baskets and decorated with fruits, thekua, coconut, sugarcane, radish, ginger, lemon and other puja materials.
Arghya will be offered to the setting sun with milk and water. The atmosphere on the ghats will become devotional with the traditional songs of Chhathi Maiya and devotional music. On the last day of the festival, Monday, November 16, the rising sun will be offered arghya.
Vratees will reach the ghats with their family members before sunrise in the morning. After offering arghya to the rising sun and performing puja, the devotees will break their fast. With this, the four-day long Chhath Mahaparva will come to an end.