Thousands of people from the Indian community gathered in Melbourne, Australia and Virginia, USA to celebrate the sacred festival of Chhath Puja. This festival is a symbol of Indian tradition, in which the Sun God is worshiped every year. During this time, devotees fast and offer Arghya to the Sun God on the banks of rivers and ponds.
People from the Indian community in Melbourne and Virginia participated in the traditional Kharna ritual on Wednesday. In Kharna, devotees fast from morning to sunset and do not even consume water during this period. It is considered a symbol of physical and mental purification.
Permission was sought from the local administration to organize Chhath Puja in Virginia so that devotees could worship on the banks of the river. A local resident told PTI, ‘When we reached here, we were worried about performing Chhath Puja. There were also questions about where the river would be found. Then we saw a park that was near the river. We feel this could be a suitable place for Chhath if we get permission.
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He further said: ‘We contacted county and park officials and they said they had no objections. Since then, Chhath is celebrated every year on the banks of this river, and today around 700 people come to celebrate the festival near this lake.
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Another resident said that it used to be strange for people in the United States to have a big vermilion line on their foreheads and pray by going to the riverbank, but now they have begun to understand it. He said, ‘Now even Americans come to ask for Prasad. When we give them Thekua, they eat it happily. This was only possible with the help of our friends. In the first year only 7 or 8 families started, but now many families create an atmosphere like that of Ganga Ghat here.
Chhath Puja is one of the holiest festivals of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. This festival is dedicated to the Sun God, considered the source of life. Through Chhath Puja, people seek the blessings of the Sun God for long life, health and prosperity.
