Kathmandu, November 12
Preparations for the Chhath festival have intensified along riverbanks, ponds and other water bodies at various locations across the Kathmandu Valley.
With the number of people celebrating Chhath in the Valley increasing in recent years, preparations are underway at 17 locations this year, including the construction of ghats, cleaning and other arrangements.
The locations where Chhath celebrations are being organised in Kathmandu Valley include Gaurighat, Guheshwari, Kamal Pokhari, Thapathali (Bagmati River bank), Teku, Banshighat, Kupandole, Balkhu, Bishnumati River bank, Nakhu River bank, Tinkune confluence, Tankeshwor, Boksidaha, Kuleshwor, Ramghat and Baishdhara in Balaju.
Anil Singh, chairperson of the Chhath Puja Management Committee at Gaurighat, said arrangements were being made to accommodate 557 devotees at the site alone. Preparations include setting up tents, installing lights, cleaning riverbanks and developing necessary infrastructure.
He said the committee was in the final stages of preparations to ensure convenience for devotees observing the festival.
Chhath is a four-day festival during which devotees worship the setting and rising sun by offering prayers and ritual offerings along riverbanks and other water bodies.
According to the festival schedule, Kharna will be observed on November 14. Devotees will offer prayers to the setting sun on November 15, followed by prayers to the rising sun on November 16, marking the conclusion of the festival.
Traditionally celebrated with devotion, particularly in the Tarai-Madhes region, Chhath has increasingly spread to the hilly and Himalayan regions, including the Kathmandu Valley.
