Bholanath Kumar, a migrant employee from Chhapra in Bihar, drives an autorickshaw in Delhi and lives together with his household in a densely populated colony of east Delhi. He and his household by no means missed the Chhath Puja celebrations since they shifted to the metropolis seeking a job.
Earlier, it used to finish with a dip in the Yamuna, although a white polluting foam troubled them. Later, with extra individuals from Bihar and neighbouring States settling of their neighbourhood, associations of migrants from Bihar began offering “better” preparations such a man-made ponds.
Government knowledge, citing the 2011 census, say there are about 15 lakh migrant staff from Bihar and Jharkhand in numerous elements of the nation. Wherever they’re, they play the folks songs of Vindhyavasini Devi and Sharda Sinha and make it positive that the id of a Bihari is on full show throughout these 4 days of Chhath. Be it Delhi or London, they may categorical their gratitude to nature throughout this pageant for daughters and sons. Researchers say that the variety of migrants is a large underestimate. Amrita Datta, who teaches at the IIT, Hyderabad, has tracked the patterns of migration from Bihar keenly. According to surveys she did in the State, the share of households with at the least one migrant member elevated from 45% in 1999 to 62.1% in 2011 to 64.9% in 2016.
Photo:
AFP
In unison: Migrants from Bihar supply prayers to the solar throughout Chhath Puja celebrations in Jalandhar, Punjab. Offerings are made to solar at sundown and throughout dawn the subsequent day.
Photo:
PTI
In tune with nature: Devotees carry out rituals throughout the pageant at Galta Ji temple Kund, in Jaipur, Rajasthan. There are not any monks for this puja and there are not any mantras concerned.
Photo:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Holy cleaning: Women take a dip in the Yamuna river in Uttar Pradesh on a pageant day.
Photo:
ANI
Harmonious rituals: Devotees supply prayers to the setting solar on the banks of the Hooghly river in Kolkata. The pageant transcends the boundaries of faith, caste and gender.
Photo:
R.V. Moorthy
Spirit of heritage: Chhath Puja rituals going down at the Sanjay Lake close to Lakshmibai Nagar in New Delhi. The basket, winnows, and puja supplies are manufactured from bamboo and adorned with marigold.
Photo:
AKHILA EASWARAN
Rooted in custom: Women providing prayers throughout the Chhath Puja rituals on the Marina Beach in Chennai.
Photo:
AKHILA EASWARAN
Light prayers: Women providing prayers to the setting solar on the Marina Beach in Chennai.
Photo:
S.Ok. MOHAN
North to south: Devotees supply prayers to the solar on Chattiyarkulam in Kannur, Kerala.
Photo:
PTI
Uniting tradition: Women carry out rituals in Nagpur, Maharashtra.