TINSUKIA, Nov 7 - The most pious and celebrated festival for North Indian Hindus, especially for the people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, �Chhath Puja� was celebrated in Tinsukia with gaiety on November 6-7.
On the first day of the celebration, devotees not only from UP or Bihar but also from the other communities of Hindus of the district made beelines with Puja materials to the nearby water bodies for offering Puja to the God after taking dip in the water. The Puja concluded on Monday morning with the offering of prayers to the Sun God.
In Tinsukia, the Puja venues like Na Pukhuri, Devi Pukhuri, Railway Pukhuri etc., were agog with devotees right from the afternoon till midnight. Prior to the Puja days, people rushed to the markets and wayside temporary markets set up for the purpose in many places of the district, for purchasing Puja materials. Places by the sides of the water bodies were kept ready for the devotees to offer their pujas. It was also noticed that at every Puja site, organisers made elaborate arrangements for the devotees for performing Puja. The district and police administration too took necessary steps for the smooth and hassle-free celebrations with security bandobast.
At Udalguri: The Hindi-speaking people of Udalguri area celebrated the traditional Chhath Puja, at the bank of Golodni river at Puroni Thana and Golondi with a daylong agenda.
Speaking on the occasion in a religious discourse arranged by the Akhil Hindibhashi Yuva Chatra Parishad, Rihon Daimari, Cabinet Minister and MLA of Udalguri LAC hoped that such rituals would help the people get united in the interest of peace and prosperity in the region. The discourse was also addressed by octogenarian social worker Gowardhan Prasad Chouhan who highlighted the significance of Chhath Puja.
The puja organisers on the occasion informed the media persons that this time the devotees also paid floral tributes to the martyred jawans of the Army, BSF and SSB along the Indo-Pak border.
In Darrang dist: The festival of worshipping the Sun God, Chhath Puja was celebrated by the Hindi-speaking Hindu community in different parts of Darrang district including Mangaldai and Kharupetia since Sunday with a two-daylong programme. A large number of devotees offered prayers at Mangaldai river ghat and Kharupetia Ashokastami mela ghat premises with religious fervour and gaiety.
