Extending Chhath Puja greetings in his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Chhath Puja is a great example of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'.
In the 94th episode of his Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister said, "The festival of Chhath is also an example of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. Today, wherever the people of Bihar and Purvanchal are in any corner of the country, Chhath is being celebrated with great pomp"
He said Chhath is now getting organized on a large scale in different districts of Maharashtra along with Delhi, Mumbai and many parts of Gujarat.
"I do remember that earlier in Gujarat, Chhath Puja was not performed to this extent. But with the passage of time, the colours of Chhath Puja have started getting dissolved in almost the whole of Gujarat. I am also very happy to see this. Nowadays we see, how many grand pictures of Chhath Puja come from abroad too. That is, the rich heritage of India, our faith, is reinforcing its identity in every corner of the world," he said.
"So today, along with worshipping the Sun, why not also discuss his boon? This blessing of Sun God is - solar energy," PM Modi said.
He said solar energy is a subject in which the whole world is seeing its future. For India, the Sun God has not only been worshipped for centuries, but has also been the focus of our way of life.
Today, Prime Minister said India is combining its traditional experiences with modern science and has become one of the largest countries to generate electricity from solar energy.
How solar energy is changing the lives of the poor and middle class of the country is also a subject of study, he said.
Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival that is performed to seek blessings from the Sun God for a healthy, happy, and prosperous life. It is believed that sunlight has cures for various diseases and conditions. Taking a dip in the holy river is also considered to have certain medicinal and spiritual benefits. The festival requires maintaining the utmost ritualistic purity.
Also referred to as Surya Shashti, Chhath, Mahaparv, Chhath Parv, Dala Puja, Pratihar and Dala Chhath, the four-day-long festival is dedicated to the deity Surya and Shashthi Devi.
As part of the ritual, women fast for the well-being of their sons and the happiness of their families. They also offer Arghya to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya. their sons' well-being and their families' happinessThe four-day festival started on October 28, which was a Friday, with the main day and the last day of the puja, being celebrated on October 31, which is falling on Monday.
On each day, people observe the Chhath and follow rigorous rituals. As per Drik Panchang, sunrise on Chhath Puja will be at 06:43 am, and sunset will happen at 06:03 pm. The Shashthi tithi begins at 05:49 am on October 30 and ends at 03:27 am on October 31.
( With inputs from ANI )
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