Preparations for the Chhath festival celebrations in Raptitat, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-1, are nearly complete. The Chhath Puja Ceremony Committee has announced that arrangements, including site cleaning and decorating with a large pandal, are now in their final stages.
This year, a 620-foot-long pandal has been set up to allow devotees to perform the ritual of offering argha (prayers) to the setting sun on Thursday. “The pandal is 100 feet longer than last year’s,” said Ravi Gupta, coordinator of the Chhath Puja Ceremony Committee. The structure along the riverside has a capacity of over 700 devotees, who will stay awake under the pandal to perform puja throughout the night.
Organizers anticipate a large turnout, with expectations to surpass last year’s attendance of more than 60,000 people. Thousands of people fast and participate in Chhath every year, and the festival serves as a unifying celebration across the Terai, Madhesh, and mountainous regions. “This festival has grown to include all communities,” Gupta stated.
In Hetauda, Chhath celebrations are attracting an increasing number of devotees each year. Many residents, predominantly from the Madhes and hill regions, gather in Raptitat for the occasion. While traditionally celebrated by Terai residents, Sushil Sinorio Baniya shared that the festival is now widely embraced by both Terai and hill communities in Hetauda, who worship Suryadev (Sun God) together.
On Thursday evening, devotees will offer prayers to the setting sun and worship Chhathimai under the pandal throughout the night, concluding with prayers to the rising sun the following morning. Streets from Buddha Chowk to Raptitat have been adorned with lights for the celebration.
The four-day festival begins with “Nahaye Khaye” on Sunday, when fasting women perform a purification ritual, abstaining from garlic and onions and consuming only pure food. On Monday, after fasting all day, they prepare and offer kheer (a rice pudding) in a new clay oven, which is then shared as prasad among family members. The main rituals take place on the third day when devotees offer argha to the setting sun, and the celebration concludes on the fourth day with offerings to the rising sun.
Chhath is dedicated to worshiping both Chhath Maiya, a powerful mother deity, and the Sun God, who is believed to bring light and prosperity. Fasting during Chhath is believed to grant relief from sorrow and poverty, along with blessings for children, health, and family well-being.
According to the Mahabharata, the Pandavas worshipped the Sun God during their exile with Draupadi, praying for success. Additionally, the Surya Purana describes how Anusuya, the wife of a sage, first observed the Chhath fast, receiving unwavering love and good fortune as a result. These traditions are said to be the origins of Chhath festival celebrations today.
