Patna: As dusk approaches on the third day of Chhath Puja, the banks of the Ganga River in Patna and across Bihar are alive with chants, music, and the rhythmic sound of drums. Within the next two hours, millions of devotees will lift dauras (bamboo baskets) towards the sky, offering Arghya to the setting sun, marking one of the most spiritually charged moments of the four-day festival.
The auspicious time for offering Arghya, according to astrologers, is until 5:34 pm, coinciding with the Purvashadha Nakshatra, along with Sukarma Yoga and Ravi Yoga — planetary alignments believed to amplify divine blessings. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted sunset between 5.01 pm and 5.18 pm across all 38 districts of Bihar, with Patna witnessing it at 5.11 pm.
Yet, as devotees wait in reverence, the weather may play spoilsport. Cloudy skies across most parts of the state, influenced by a cyclonic circulation, are expected to obscure the sun — a rare but poignant reminder of nature’s unpredictability in a festival that celebrates it.
Still, the atmosphere remains electric. “Even if we can’t see the sun, our prayers will reach him,” said Sunita Devi, a resident of Kankarbagh, adjusting her saree pallu as she balanced a daura on her head. Around her, families hummed traditional Chhath songs, their voices merging with the loudspeakers blaring classics by Sharda Sinha.
At JP Setu Ghat, the city’s largest and most secure site for the ritual, more than 2 lakh devotees are expected to offer Arghya. The ghat, illuminated with colourful lights and lined with bamboo barricades, buzzes with anticipation — and concern. The recent rain has left the riverbank muddy, forcing devotees to collect sand themselves to firm up the ground. “The mud is slippery; sandbags should have been laid,” said one devotee.
Security has been tightened at all major ghats. Bomb and dog squads were deployed at JP Setu Ghat earlier in the day, conducting thorough inspections. Police, civic officials, and disaster response teams have been stationed across all entry points.
Patna district authorities said around 550 ghats along the Ganga and its tributaries have been prepared for the evening Arghya. Of these, 102 ghats fall under the municipal corporation area, while 45 parks and 63 pond ghats have also been readied for those performing the rituals away from the river.
The devotion is as intense as ever. Across Bihar — from Bhagalpur’s Budhanath Ghat to Darbhanga’s Dighi Pond — the scent of incense and the glow of earthen lamps fill the air. Women clad in bright saris, men carrying baskets of fruits and sugarcane, and children splashing near the banks together create a tableau of faith that has endured for generations.
As the sun sets behind a curtain of clouds, devotees will still raise their hands in gratitude — offering not just to the light they see, but to the faith they feel. Tomorrow morning, at sunrise between 5.45 am and 6.01 am, they will return to the ghats for Usha Arghya, the final act of Chhath, breaking their 36-hour Nirjala fast with ginger water and thekua, bringing the grand festival to a serene close.
For now, as the golden hour approaches, Bihar stands united — by the river, in prayer, waiting for the sun.
