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The four-day Hindu festival, Chhath Puja, the worship of the setting and rising Sun, is dedicated to the God of Sun (Surya) and Chhatti Mai (Goddess of Power).
The festival's aim is to thank the God for sustaining life and energy on earth. It is considered as the festival of forgiveness and compassion, which sees devotees making cultural bonds and distribute fruits and sweetmeats.
The Chhath Puja is seen as a serene event when bejeweled women in colorful saris visit the banks of rivers and ponds, singing folk songs. They then take a dip in the water and pray to the Sun god with pure devotion.
The festival begins on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartika, which is where the festival gets its name. The word ‘Chhath’ means the number six in Hindi.
The Chhath Puja is celebrated in many parts of India such as West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as well as various parts of Nepal.
Show all 25 1 /25In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival A Nepalese Hindu devotee prays the setting sun while standing at the Bagmati River, during the Chhath festival in Kathmandu, Nepal
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers on the banks of the Yamuna river as the landmark Taj Mahal monument is seen in the background during daybreak in Agra. Devotees pay obeisance to both the rising and the setting sun in the Chhath festival when people express their thanks and seek the blessings of the forces of nature, mainly the sun and river
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival A Nepalese woman offers prayers during rituals marking Chhath festival at the Bagmati River in Katmandu, Nepal
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Lifeguards keep vigil as Hindu devotees crowd the banks of the River Ganges to performs rituals at sunset during Chhath Puja festival in Patna, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival A Hindu devotee lies along the shores of the Arabian Sea as she offers prayers to the Sun god during the "Chhat" festival in Mumbai
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Indian women offer prayers near the sea front during the 'Chhath Puja' festival in Mumbai
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to the sun during the Chhath festival on the banks of the river Ganges in Kolkata
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Water from waves splash on Hindu women offering prayers as the sun sets over the Arabian Sea during Chhath Puja festival in Mumbai, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Hindu women perform rituals at sunset to mark Chhath Puja festival in New Delhi, India. During Chhath, an ancient Hindu festival popular amongst the working class, rituals are performed to thank the Sun God for sustaining life on earth
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Hindu devotees pray while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as they worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival "Chatt Puja" in Mumbai
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival A Nepalese woman sprinkles water on herself as she offers prayers during Chhath festival at the Bagmati River in Katmandu, Nepal
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Indian Hindu devotees perform rituals during Chhath puja in Bhopal, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers during the Chhath festival in Agartala, the capital of the northeastern state of Tripura. The Chhath festival is one of the most important festivals in the northern Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where people worship the Sun dod on the banks of rivers or small ponds, and pray for the longivety and health of their spouse
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Devotees offer prayers at sunset to mark Chhath Puja festival in New Delhi, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival A devotee offers prayers as people gather along the bank of Bagmati River during the "Chhat" festival in Kathmandu
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival An Indian Hindu devotee worships the setting sun while celebrating Chhath Pooja at Yamuna river bank in New Delhi, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Nepalese Hindu devotees perform a ritual before offering prayers to the sun whilst standing in the Bagmati River during the Chhath festival, which honours the Sun god, in Kathmandu
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival A devotee offers prayers to the setting sun during the "Chhat" festival at Bagmati River in Kathmandu
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Indian Hindu devotees step into the Arabian Sea with offerings to worship the setting Sun while celebrating Chhath Puja in Mumbai, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival An Indian Hindu devotee worships the setting sun while celebrating Chhath Puja in Mumbai, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Sugarcane stalks, used for rituals, is planted into a water body as Hindu women perform rituals at sunset to mark Chhath Puja festival in New Delhi, India
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to the sun during the Chhath festival on the banks of the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival An Indian woman creeps towards the sea during the 'Chhath Puja' festival in Mumbai
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival A Nepalese Hindu devotee prays the setting sun while standing at the Bagmati River, during the Chhath festival in Kathmandu
In pictures: Hindu Chhath Puja festival Chhath Puja festival Hindu women perform rituals at sunset to mark Chhath Puja festival in New Delhi, India
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