KATHMANDU, This year’s Chhath festival concluded on Tuesday morning as devotees across the country offered Argha to the rising Sun, marking the end of the four-day-long celebration dedicated to the Sun God and goddess Sasthi.
The festival, which began last Saturday, reached its climax on Monday evening with the main pooja and concluded this morning with the traditional offering of Argha at rivers, ponds, and other water bodies, including in Kathmandu.
Chhath was observed with grandeur in the districts of Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha, and Saptari in the Mithila region, as well as in other parts of the country. Devotees gathered along the banks of ponds, lakes, and rivulets to perform rituals reflecting the festival’s values of truth, non-violence, and compassion toward all living beings.
The worship of the rising and setting Sun is central to Chhath, regarded as a unique and devotional form of prayer to the Sun God. Large crowds of devotees and enthusiasts thronged water bodies nationwide, underscoring the festival’s role in promoting goodwill, faith, and social harmony.
People from all walks of life came together to honor the Sun God, believing that such devotion brings happiness, prosperity, well-being, and longevity to their families.
Throughout the festival, devotees observed rigorous fasting—often refraining from both food and water—and performed pooja for their ancestral deities while welcoming goddess Sasthi. Fruits were consumed only once on the second day of Chhath.
On the main day, Kartik Shukla Sasthi, devotees offered Argha to the setting Sun while maintaining strict fasts. According to religious belief, offering Argha ritually to the Sun protects one from skin diseases and brings divine blessings to the family.
