Hyderabad comes together for Chhath Puja as lakhs offer prayers to setting sun

Devotees gather at Batukamma Ghat, Tank Bund, to offer Sandhya Arghya (evening offering) to the setting sun, expressing gratitude and seeking blessings during the Chhath Puja celebrations in Hyderabad.

As the sun slowly dipped towards the horizon on Sunday evening, the banks of Hyderabad’s lakes and water bodies turned into vibrant centres of devotion. Women stood waist-deep in water, bamboo baskets laden with fruits and traditional offerings in their hands, waiting for the moment to offer prayers to the setting sun.

For lakhs of people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and parts of West Bengal who have made Hyderabad their home, Chhath Puja has become more than a festival. The city witnessed large gatherings at several locations for Sandhya Arghya, third day of the four-day festival, when devotees offer prayers to Surya, the Sun God, and Ushas, the goddess of dawn, expressing gratitude for sustaining life on earth.

The preparations began much before the evening rituals. For many families, the day started with a visit to the markets to procure the special fruits, vegetables and other offerings that form an integral part of the festival. Whole sugarcane stalks with green leaves, turmeric with its leaves and roots, and ginger with its foliage are among the items needed for the puja. “Earlier, some of these things were very difficult to find. Now, they are readily available in local markets,” said Shatrughan Ram, a resident of Mallapur.

Devotees, particularly women observing the 36-hour fast, made their way to the ghats carrying soops, traditional winnowing baskets made of bamboo or brass. Filled with fruits, sugarcane, thekua (a traditional sweet prepared using wheat flour and jaggery) and other offerings, the baskets were held as devotees stood in the water and waited for sunset.

Devotees gather at Batukamma Ghat, Tank Bund, to offer Sandhya Arghya (evening offering) to the setting sun, expressing gratitude and seeking blessings during the Chhath Puja celebrations in Hyderabad, on Sunday.

This year, 28 locations were made available for the celebrations across the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Cyberabad Municipal Corporation and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation limits. Elaborate arrangements were made to accommodate the crowds, with Tank Bund among the locations that witnessed one of the largest congregations.

Behind the arrangements were multiple community organisations working alongside government departments. The Bihar Association Hyderabad, led by president Hareram Singh, coordinated the celebrations, while the Jan Seva Sangh, headed by former Director General of Prisons V.K. Singh, deployed volunteers at multiple locations to assist devotees. “Our role is to act as a bridge between the government and the public,” V.K. Singh said.

As the last rays of the sun disappeared, devotees completed their evening offerings and began making their way home. But the celebrations were far from over. After a night of fasting and prayers, they would return to the ghats before sunrise on Monday for Usha Arghya, the concluding ritual in which prayers are offered to the rising sun.