Varanasi: The holy city of Varanasi is all set to celebrate four-day Chhath puja from Friday with the ritual of Nahay Khay. Dedicated to the Sun god, Chhath puja is celebrated mostly by the people of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.The four-day festivity includes Nahay Khay, Kharna, evening Arghya (offering) to the setting Sun and morning Arghya to the rising Sun.On the first day of Nahay Khay, the devotees clean their homes, take baths and prepare traditional vegetarian meals. It is followed by Kharna on the second day and evening arghya on the third day after a daylong fast. The puja concludes on the fourth day with araghya to the rising sun.During the four-day festival, several traditional rituals like holy bathing, fasting and standing for hours in water making offerings to the Sun are performed for prosperity and wellbeing. The festival is observed to thank the Sun god for showering its blessings on earth.The city markets are abuzz with people crowding several shops ahead of the festival. Makeshift stalls selling cane baskets, soop, dagra and dauri and other puja articles have come up at several places across the city.Meanwhile, the local administration has made elaborate arrangements for hassle-free celebration of the puja, as a huge crowd gathers at the Ganga ghats and other water bodies to perform various rituals.Earlier on Wednesday, divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma and municipal commissioner Akshat Verma inspected the riverfront and took stock of the preparations for the festival. Police and NDRF personnel have also been deployed to avert any untoward situation.In view of the possible rush of passengers for the festival, the Railway administration also operated the Chhapra-Jabalpur single journey special train from Chhapra on Thursday.We also published the following articles recentlyFour-day Chhath festival begins todayThe four-day Chhath festival in Patna will begin with the nahay-khay ritual. Devotees take a bath in the Ganga river before cooking a traditional meal and going on a fast. Markets are flooded with people buying puja materials, including bottle gourd, which is cooked on the day of nahay-khay. Fresh supplies of bottle gourds have arrived at the vegetable markets. Utensils made of brass are in high demand for the festival, but many people prefer eco-friendly bamboo products.Chhath Puja 2023: When is Chhath Puja? know date and timeChhath Puja is a major festival celebrated in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. Devotees worship Lord Surya (Sun God) and his wife, Usha, seeking blessings. The festival starts on the sixth day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik, this year falling on November 17 and ending on November 20, 2023. Chhath Puja is dedicated to worshiping Chhathi Maiya and is observed with fasting and prayers to Lord Surya during sunrise and sunset. The festival is celebrated for the well-being of the family, prosperity, and happiness.Happy Chhath Puja 2023: Best Messages, Quotes, Wishes and Images to share on Chhath PujaChhath Puja, a four-day festival in India, is dedicated to worshipping the Sun God. It brings communities together in celebration of faith and tradition. The festival involves fasting, holy bathing, and offering prayers to seek blessings for families. It represents purity and discipline and showcases participants faith and devotion. Chhath Puja will be celebrated from November 17th to November 20th this year. Here are some messages, wishes, and images to share on this auspicious occasion.

Stay updated with all the Varanasi Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.