Hundreds throng Chennai's Marina beach to celebrate Chhath Puja festival

Hundreds gathered at Chennai's Marina Beach on Friday to celebrate the final day of Chhath Puja. The four-day festival, observed by communities from North India, honors the sun god with offerings and fasting. The Greater Chennai Corporation deployed extra resources to manage waste and ensure the beach's cleanliness.

(Image credits: B A Raju) CHENNAI: Hundreds of people, mostly from the North Indian communities , thronged Marina Beach on Friday to celebrate Chhath Puja , a four-day celebration in honour of the sun. It is celebrated by people from Bihar , eastern Uttar Pradesh , and Nepal for a long time. The festival involves a long fast without water and making offerings to the rising and setting sun, respectively, while standing in a waterbody.

People from various localities thronged the beach this time. While no garbage will be dumped during the process, GCC officials are placing additional bins and manpower to ensure the beach is cleaned up by night. The four-day auspicious occasion began on November 5 with the 'nahay-khay' ritual and concluded on Friday.

Chhath is observed on the sixth day of Kartik Shukla and six days after Diwali. During the festival, worshippers honour ' Chhathi Maiya ' and the Sun God , and seek their blessings and prosperity for their families and children..