Chhath Puja 2020: Here is how India is celebrating the festival amid pandemic

The last leg of festivities is here with Chhath Puja being celebrated on November 20, 2020. Chhath Puja is a festival which starts on the Chaturthi of Shukla Paksha, and is celebrated till Saptami Tithi. Also known as Surya Shashti, it starts with ‘Nahay Khay’ and ends with 'Usha Arghya'. People worship the Sun god on this day. Some people even observe a fast. It is celebrated six days after Diwali and is primarily celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Nepal to bring peace and prosperity in the family.

However, this time due to COVID19, the energy of the festival has faded. Unlike every year when millions of people reach Beach or Ghat to perform Chhath Puja from the nation around, this year witnessed emptiness with no crowd or preparation.

This time the state government has issued new guidelines regarding Chhath Puja in view of the Coronavirus pandemic under which, devotees are not allowed to perform Chhath Puja on the seashore.

Also Read: Chhath Puja 2020: No celebrations on Juhu beach this year due to COVID 19

Chhath Puja 2020: Sandhya Arghya Muhurat/Auspicious Time

20 November ( Sandhya Arghya) Sunset Time - 06:48 pm

Sandhya Arghya Ritual

In Chhath Puja, Sun God is worshiped and Arghya is offered to him. Along with Surya Dev, there is also a ritual of worshiping Chhath Maiya on Chhath. According to mythological belief, the sixth maiya or Shashti Mata protects the offspring and gives them longevity. In the scriptures, Shashti Devi has also been called the Manas daughter of Brahma. In the Puranas, she is also called Maa Katyayani, whose worship is done on Shashthi Tithi in Navratri. Shashthi Devi has been called Chhath Maiya in the local language of Bihar-Jharkhand.

How Coronavirus has affected festivities:

Chhath puja is also a community festival where people come together to offer arghya to sun god. However, during the Covid pandemic, it is important to maintain social distancing and isolation, while masks and sanitisers are not to be ignored. To pevent the spread of COVID-19 and adhere to the SoPs, government has issued new guidelines under which, devotees are not allowed to perform Chhath Puja on ghats, beach and water bodies in their area. People are not coming in big gathering, though decoration and dresses are on ample display at their homes or society pools.

Here is how people are celebrating Chhath Puja in Covid times: