As tens of thousands of devotees hailing from the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh descend upon the banks of the Yamuna river in Delhi for the festival, a sense of purity and worship overwhelms all of them, despite the cold.
The four-day festival involves fasting and the offering of ‘Jal’ or, holy river water to the setting Sun at dusk on the third day and to the rising Sun at dawn on the following day. Women fast for all these days during which they are forbidden to have even a sip of water or food for at least two days.
On the last day, women carry fresh fruits, sugarcanes and other worshipping material to the river banks or ponds, and several of them come humming traditional prayers along with their children.
They keep arranging things and lighting the earthen lamps (Diyas) at the Ghats (river banks), just a few hours ahead of offering “Aragh” (water) to the rising sun on Yamuna saying...’Bolo Chhathi Mayi ki Jai’(praise to the Goddess Chhatti). It is believed that such worship brings luck and helps to make wishes come true.