Across India and Nepal, devotees – mainly women – have been marking the Hindu festival of Chhath Puja by immersing themselves in rivers and lakes at sunrise and sunset to worship Surya, the sun god. Standing waist-deep in the water, many also make offerings of fruit and vegetables to the sun to pray for the well-being of their family members.
The festival is celebrated on the sixth and seventh days after Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. It is observed mainly in India's Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states, and in Nepal. Although it is usually observed by women it is not uncommon to see men participate in this ancient tradition.
Hindu devotees make offerings of fruit to the sun god as they wade into the waters of the Ganges River during the festival of Chhath Puja in KolkataRupak de Chowdhuri/ReutersHindu devotees gather on the banks of a lake to worship the sun god during the festival of Chhath Puja in Chandigarh, IndiaAjay Verma/ReutersA devotee offers prayers to the setting sun at the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, during the Chhath Puja festivalNavesh Chitrakar/ReutersA woman prays next to offerings for the sun god on the banks of the Ganges River in Kolkata during the festival of Chhath PujaRupak de Chowdhuri/ReutersHindu devotees offer prayers to the sun god in the Yamuna river in Allahabad during the festival of Chhath PujaSanjay Kanojia/AFPHindu devotees offer prayers to the sun god in the Yamuna river in Allahabad during the festival of Chhath PujaSanjay Kanojia/AFPA worker unloads bananas, which will be used as offerings during the Hindu festival of Chhath Puja, from a truck at a wholesale market in KolkataRupak de Chowdhuri/ReutersA Hindu devotee worships the sun god in the waters of a lake in ChandigarhAjay Verma/ReutersA devotee offers prayers to the setting sun at the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, during the Chhath Puja festivalNavesh Chitrakar/ReutersA Hindu devotee prays to the sun god while standing on shores of Bay of Bengal in ChennaiArun Sankar/AFPA Hindu devotee takes part in a ritual worshipping the sun god during the festival of Chhath Puja in New DelhiSajjad Hussain/AFPA woman is reflected in the waters of the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad as she worships the sun god during the Hindu festival of Chhath PujaAmit Dave/ReutersA Hindu devotee prostrates herself on a road in Kolkata as she worships the sun god during the festival of Chhath PujaRupak de Chowdhuri/ReutersA devotee offers prayers by crawling on the ground during the Chhath Puja festival in Kathmandu, NepalNavesh Chitrakar/ReutersA devotee offers prayers to the setting sun at the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, during the Chhath Puja festivalNavesh Chitrakar/ReutersA devotee offers an oil lamp into the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, as she prays to the rising sun during the Chhath Puja festivalNavesh Chitrakar/ReutersHindu devotees perform rituals during the festival of Chhath Puja in ChennaiArun Sankar/AFPHindu devotees prepare to make offerings in the Sankey Tank in Bangalore during the festival of Chhath PujaManjunath Kiran/AFPHindu devotees offer prayers in a pool at the Durgiana temple in Amritsar during the festival of Chhat PujaNarinder Nanu/AFPA Hindu devotee takes part in a ritual worshipping the sun god during the festival of Chhath Puja in New DelhiSajjad Hussain/AFPA Hindu devotee makes offerings to the sun god during the festival of Chhath Puja in New DelhiSajjad Hussain/AFPA Hindu devotee prepares to make offerings to the sun god during the festival of Chhath Puja in New DelhiSajjad Hussain/AFP
In Hinduism, the sun god is believed to help cure a variety of diseases and ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and elders.
