Fervour grips Chhath devotees, thousands home bound
LUCKNOW : Benches on platform No 1 at the Lucknow railway station remained occupied by over a thousand people on Sunday. Most of these people gazed at their cell phones or chatted while the rest lay over plastic sheets as they waited to board trains to various destinations in east UP and Bihar – to be with their families for Chhath Puja.
Many people had concerns over the journey ahead as trains were running packed ahead of Chhath Puja.
“I am returning home after four months. I didn’t go there for Diwali so that I could make it for Chhath Puja,” said Abhay Singh, manager at a private firm in Lucknow who is returning to his native place in Chhapra (Bihar).
Like Singh, his friend Dinesh also worked on Diwali and is returning to his native place in Ballia. “We also celebrate Diwali but Chhath also has its significance and we celebrate it with family,” he said.
The duo had planned the journey in advance and managed to secure confirmed seats for the 16-hour-long journey. Others waiting with them were not so lucky. “We booked the ticket almost a month ago but our tickets are not confirmed yet. I fear we will have to share seats with other passengers. I can sit on the floor, if needed but my children will find it difficult,” said Pramod Kumar of Azamgarh.
The situation was similar at the bus station situated right across the road. “The trains are too crowded during Chhath. One can at least hope of getting a seat in the bus,” said Sonu Kumar, a student as he waited for his bus to his hometown Deoria.
This year, an estimated one lakh people are travelling from Lucknow to various destinations for Chhath.
The four-day-long Puja, dedicated to the worship of Sun God and his wife Usha, is primarily performed in the eastern districts of UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Nepal. It is also celebrated in others states by people who have
migrated there from the Purvanchali belt.
During the Puja, devotees thank Sun God for supporting life on earth and seek the divine couple’s blessings.
“Chhath Puja has become one of the most important festivities in the state capital. In a decade since we started organising
Chhath Puja on the banks of Gomti, the number of people performing the puja has multiplied 10 fold,” said Prabhu Nath Rai, national president of the All-India Bhojpuri Samaj.
“A large chunk of people go to their native places to celebrate the occasion with their family,” he said.