Chhath festival being observed today; President, Vice President, Prime Minister and party leaders – Chhath best wishes

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Kathmandu, Nov 6: The main ritual of the four-day Chhath festival is being observed today by worshipping and making offerings to the setting sun.

The Chhath festival observed as common cultural symbol of the Tarai is celebrated as per religious tradition and much fanfare.

The festive fanfare has been seen in different parts including Ranipokhari, Gaurighat, Kupondole of Kathmandu valley as well.

The festival is dedicated to the sun God, with offerings made to the rising and setting sun. It is observed for four days, from Kartik Shukala Chaturthi to Kartik Shukla Saptami as per the lunar calendar.

It usually falls between October and November in the Gregorian calendar. The Sun considered as the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress.

The ritual of Chhath Parba includes taking holy bath, fasting, standing and worshiping the sun for a long time and offering Prasad and Argha to the ‘Rising and setting Sun”.

The Calendar Determination Committee, Nepal (Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti) chair Prof Dr Ram Chandra Gautam said that worshiping the sun on the special occasion of Kartik Shukla Paksha materializes wanting desire.

Chhath is a festival of bathing and worshipping, that follows a period of abstinence and segregation of the worshiper from the main household for four days. During this period, the worshiper observes purity, and sleeps on the floor on a single blanket.This is the only holy festival which has no involvement of any pandit (priest).The devotees offer their prayers to the setting sun, and then the rising sun in celebrating its glory as the cycle of birth starts with death. It is seen as the most glorious form of Sun worship.

President, Vice President, Prime Minister and party leaders – Chhath best wishes

Meanwhile, President Bidya Devi Bhandari has wished that may the Chhath festival motivate all Nepalis to move ahead towards the successful implementation of the Constitution of Nepal by maintaining national unity, integrity, cooperation and consensus.

In a message of best wishes on the occasion of the Chhath festival today, President Bhandari extended best wishes for happiness, peace, prosperity, mutual goodwill, unity and continued progress of all the Nepali brothers and sisters within and abroad the country on the great festival of Chhath.

“Festivals like this observed in our country which is full of religious and cultural diversity have made an important contribution to the national integrity and social bond by providing the opportunity to maintain cordial mutual relations and unity through social and family get-together and entertainment,” the President stated in her message.

Similarly, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun extended hearty best wishes to all the Nepalis on the occasion of the unique festival of Chhath considered a fascinating tradition of worshipping the rising and the setting sun.

He has expressed the belief that this auspicious festival would foster mutual amity, tolerance, brotherhood and strong unity among the Nepalis.

“May the auspicious occasion of the Chhath festival inspire all Nepalis to come together and work towards the complete implementation of the constitution and fulfilling the aspirations of the Nepali people for building a prosperous Nepal by holding the elections to the different tiers of government within the designated time while addressing the dissatisfactions seen in the course of implementation of the constitution through mutual talks, consensus and collaboration,” the Vice President stated in the message.

Likewise, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal extended hearty best wishes to all the Nepalis within the country and outside on the occasion of the chhath, a festival of sun worship. He wished that the festival inspired all Nepalis to be united and work towards constitution implementation.

In the message, PM Dahal has urged all the sides concerned to extend cooperation to this government that is moving ahead on the path of building a prosperous Nepal, recalling that the constitution has guaranteed the right to all the religious and cultural communities to protect and promote their respective religions and cultures.

In a separate message on the same occasion, Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has extended warm greetings to all sisters and brothers residing in Terai for their peace, prosperity and wellbeing.

“All these festivals are the heritages of our social relations and cultural cohesions. The festivals have helped develop the foundation of mutual unity and harmony promoting brotherhood and fraternity”, reads the message delivered by Deuba, the former Prime Minister.

The country now is at the critical juncture of history and we all are effortful to institutionalize the achievements made through democratic movement including the promulgation of a new constitution, he said, calling for support from all sides to effectively implement the national charter.

He wished that the holy religious festival, Chhath, would instil in us with inspiration to accomplish the shared responsibility towards the country and the people.

On the occasion of the Chhath festival, CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli extended a message of best wishes to all Nepali people for unity and integrity.

He also wished that this festival would inspire all Nepalis to pursue prosperity by binding Nepalis of all castes, religions and community through a thread of unity. RSS