Hundreds of Indian-Americans in Virginia celebrate Chhath Puja

Richmond (US), Nov 7 (PTI) Keeping their family tradition of generations alive, hundreds of Indian-American community members along with their friends and families gathered in the US state of Virginia to worship the Sun God as part of the Hindu festival of Chhath Puja.

The four-day Chhath Puja began on November 6. During the festival, devotees fast and gather on the banks of rivers and ponds to offer prayers to the Sun God.

The members of the community in Virginia celebrated the festival of Chhath with the traditional observance of Kharna on Wednesday.

The Kharna ritual involves devotees fasting from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from even water, to purify themselves physically and spiritually.

The members of the community joined for the celebrations in Virginia after receiving permission from local authorities to perform the rituals on the banks of a river in their town.

"When we came here, we were worried about how to do Chhath puja in this new country, where would we find a river was also a concern. So one day our whole group went to a park that was beside a river, and we thought it was a good enough space for Chhath if we got the permission," a resident told PTI videos.

"We contacted the county and park authorities, and they told us that they don't have any problem. Since then, every year Chhath is celebrated near that river, and today there are around 700 people who come near that lake to celebrate the festival," the resident said.

Another resident added that, for Americans, it was unusual to see such a big vermilion tika on the forehead and the practice of going to the lake, but they are now used to it.

"Now even the Americans come to ask for prasad. When we give them Thekua (fritters), they are happy to eat it. It was possible to celebrate Chhath beside the river because of my friends here. In the first year, it was just 7-8 families who started the celebration, but now a lot of families come to the ghat, so it feels really good," she said.

Chhath Puja is one of the most auspicious festivals in Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The festival is dedicated to Sun God, which people believe sustains life on the earth. The puja is also performed to seek blessings from the Sun God to live a long, healthy, prosperous life. PTI  AMS