Kathmandu, 25 Oct: In Mithila, the Chhath festival has officially begun from today (Saturday). Considered the biggest festival of the Mithila region, preparations are in full swing to decorate the sacred ponds and ghats of Janakpurdham. Sites like Ganga Sagar, Argajasar, Dasharath Talau, Dhanush Sagar, and Matkorwa Pokhari are being beautifully decorated for the occasion.
According to Harinarayan Gupta, the chairman of the Ganga Sagar Chhath Committee, this year, as in previous years, decoration work is being carried out on half of the Ganga Sagar area. He mentioned that better arrangements than before have been made for cleanliness, decoration, and overall management of the ghats. Gupta also stated that the offering (Arghya) rate has been fixed at Rs. 600 per devotee this year. “Not everyone contributes, but even those who don’t give offerings still participate in the ritual,” he said, adding that every year, around Rs. 300–350 worth of coupons are distributed, and the collected funds are sufficient to cover management expenses.
At the Ganga Sagar ghat, the construction of the worship pavilions (pandaals) is in its final stage, with lighting work still ongoing. There are three different committees responsible for the decorations at Ganga Sagar.
Similarly, at Argajasar pond, the committee’s secretary, Birendra Karn, said that preparations began right after Dashain. Cleaning and decorating work are currently being carried out. Karn mentioned that not only Hindus but also some members of the Muslim community take part in organizing the event. “We request voluntary financial contributions from devotees who come to offer Arghya, but it is never mandatory,” he said.
For maintaining peace and security, the organizers have coordinated with the local police. More than 5,000 devotees are expected to offer Arghya at this pond this year, a number that continues to grow annually.
Festivals in the Mithila region are deeply rooted in self-sufficiency and domestic production. For Chhath, families prepare offerings using homegrown wheat, rice, and other grains. These are washed, ground in traditional stone mills (jaanto), and turned into sacred food items for the rituals.
Meanwhile, local markets in Janakpurdham are bustling with shoppers buying festival items made of bamboo and clay, which are considered pure for Chhath rituals. Clay pitchers, elephants, and bamboo-made baskets, trays (nanglo), and other traditional utensils are in high demand as devotees make their final preparations.
The four-day Chhath festival will be celebrated officially from tomorrow. During this period, devotees (vratins) observe strict fasting, including two full days without food or water. The first day, today, is known as Nahay–Khay, when devotees purify themselves with a ritual bath and eat clean vegetarian food. On the second day (Sunday), they observe a day-long fast and break it at night after offering kheer (sweet rice pudding) to the deity — a ritual known as Kharna.
On the main day (Monday), devotees prepare offerings such as thekuwa and bhuswa made from home-ground flour, along with bananas, clay elephants, and other ritual items like bamboo baskets (soop), kan-supati, and clay pots. In the evening, they offer Arghya (holy water and offerings) to the setting sun with deep devotion. The festival concludes on Tuesday morning with a final Arghya offered to the rising sun, marking the completion of Chhath — a festival of purity, gratitude, and worship of the Sun God.
