Chhath festival preparations underway at Ghadiarwa pond in Birgunj

19 Oct, Birgunj : Preparations have begun for the upcoming Chhath festival at Ghadiarwa Pokhari (pond) in Birgunj.

The Chhath celebration management committee is working actively to ensure grand celebration, according committee president Dilip Sah.

The major attraction of the festival celebration are radiating lights and the pandal, marquees set up in the ponds, lakes and rivers, according to Sah. The committee has already assigned teams to manage the marquees and lighting for the celebration.

The festival, dedicated to the Sun God, is mainly observed by the women in Terai-Madhesh for their families’ well-being. This year, the main day of the festival has fallen on November 7.

Ghadiarwa Sports Club’s President Santosh Kumar Sah shared that they have been celebrating the festival at Ghadiarwa Pokhari since 2004. “Our focus is to make the event accessible and convenient for thousands of devotees thronging the ponds to perform the rituals,” Sah said.

The pond will be decked with attractive colourful lights, flowers, frills and festoons. Sah is confident that it would add charm and grandeur to the festival celebration site.

“As the major feature of the festival is marquee, it is decorated attractively, making magnificent in look,” he observed.

Preparations have started to observe the festival with an objective to lure over 100,000 devotees and visitors alike, added Prabhakar Gupta, General-Secretary of the committee.

The committee estimates it would take around Rs 1.7 million for decoration and management of the festival celebration at Ghadiarwa Pokhari.

Visitors could voluntarily chip in Rs 250 per person for the celebration. There is no charge for devotees visiting the pond for celebration, the committee clarified.