Thousands of devotees offered arghya (sacred water) to the setting Sun at rivers, ponds and ghats across the city during the grand festival of Chhath, dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, on Monday evening. The sight of countless men and women standing waist-deep in water, holding traditional bamboo baskets filled with thekua, fruits, sugarcane and lamps, created a divine and serene atmosphere. In Sanskardhani, thousands of people gathered at a number of designated ghats to perform the ritual. As the Sun began to set, men, women and children offered milk and water to the Sun God while chanting traditional hymns, expressing gratitude and seeking blessings for health, prosperity and family well-being.

 

The Jabalpur Municipal Corporation and district administration had made elaborate arrangements for cleanliness, lighting, security and medical aid at all major ghats, ensuring a safe and smooth celebration. The third day of the four-day-long Chhath Mahaparv is considered the most important, when the arghya to the setting Sun is offered. Devotees observed rigorous fasting, abstaining even from drinking water and prepared traditional Chhath prasad including thekua, rice laddus and seasonal fruits with utmost purity and devotion. Women dressed in bright yellow and red sarees carried decorated bamboo baskets (sup) to the water bodies, symbolising faith and purity.

 

The city’s ghats such as Gaurighat, Tilwaraghat, Kalighat, Jilehrighat, Adhartal pond, Hanumantal, Gulaoaa, Manegaon, Old Kanchanpur Pond, SAF Pond (Ranjhi), Manegaon Pond, Eastland Khamaria Pond, Udaynagar Pond, Hanuman Mandir Teen Pulia (New Kanchanpur), Housing Board Colony Maharajpur, Chandamari Talaiya (near Chaubey Kirana), Telegraph Colony (Ranitall), Sanjeevani Nagar Shahi Talab, Madhai Talab and several other worship sites echoed with devotional songs and the chants of “Chhathi Maiya Ki Jai”. Volunteers and local organisations distributed fruits, water and offered assistance to devotees. Security personnel and JMC teams were on full alert throughout the evening. The festival will conclude early Tuesday morning with arghya to the rising sun, marking completion of the deeply spiritual observance that blends faith, discipline and ecological harmony.