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Devootes performing Chath Puja on the bank of Riiver Gomti in Lucknow. (Source: Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Chhath Puja, the four-day festivity is filled with different traditions. The third day, known as Chhath is considered to be the main day and it is so named since it falls on the sixth day of the month of Kartika. (Source: Express photo by Subham Dutta)
Chhath puja, one of the oldest Hindu vedic festivals is celebrated in several parts of India, especially in states like Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. (Source: Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Chhath Puja is also known as Pratihar and is celebrated with full fervour after Diwali. (Source: Express photo by Vishal Srivastav )
It is believed that the celebration of Chhath puja may predate to the ancient Vedas, as the rituals performed during the puja are similar to the ones mentioned in Rig Veda, in which the Sun god is worshipped.
(Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Chhath puja celebrated at Ganesh Ghat in Kalyan, near Mumbai. (Source: Express photo by Deepak Joshi)
The four-day festival starts four days after Diwali. (Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
The main festival is commemorated on the third day of Chhath, when the Sun god is offered Surya Namaskar and fruits.
(Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Chhath puja is celebrated by people across the country.
Here is people celebrating the festival in Uttar Pradesh's Noida.
(Express photo by Nishant Shekhar)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
It is on the banks of the Yamuna river running through Delhi-NCR that people gather to celebrate the Chhath puja festival in the national capital (Express photo by Nishant Shekhar) READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Chhath puja, like any other festival brings people together.
(Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Apart from offering pujas, devotees also participate in the revelry and prepare for the festival.
(Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Fasting, holy bathing, fasting, abstaining from drinking water, offering prasad and prayers to the rising and setting sun form integral part of the four-day festivity.
(Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: 7 songs you can listen to during the festival
Women offering their prayers to the sun god on Chhath Puja in Gujarat. (Express photo by Javed Raja)
Woman devotees in Patna put vermillion as part of the Chhath Puja rituals. (Source: PTI)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Devotees seen offering prayers to the Sun God on the banks of river Ganges. (Source: AP Photo)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Devotees seen performing the 'Nahaye Khaye' rituals. (Source: PTI)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is clicked inspecting the preparations for Chhath puja on the banks of Ganga in Patna. (Source: PTI)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Devotees preparing Prasad on the occasion of Chhath Puja. (Source: AP Photo)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
RJD chief Lalu Prasad's daughter and MP Misa Bharti seen buying Puja items in Patna. (Source: AP Photo)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Women in Kolkata are seen buying bamboo items. (Source: PTI)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: 7 songs you can listen to during the festival
People offering prayer during sun set. (Express photo by javed Raja)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Devotees in Bodhgaya carry holy water from the River Falgu. (Source: AP Photo)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: 7 songs you can listen to during the festival
In Varanasi, devotees gather around on the banks of river Ganga to celebrate. (Source: PTI)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Women devotees clicked performing Chhath Puja rituals in Pune. (Express photos by Arul Horizon)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Women performing Chhath Puja rituals in Pune. (Express photos by Javed Raja)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
People in Lucknow offering prayers on the banks of River Gomti.
(Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
The festival holds equal importance for the older and the younger generation. And for a lot of others the festival is laced with nostalgia. (Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
Hundreds of people gather on the banks of River Gomti in Lucknow to offer prayers to the Sun God. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Nepalese women are seen holding coconuts and offering prayers to the Sun god on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.
(Source: AP Photo)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: 7 songs you can listen to during the festival
A Nepalese woman puts vermillion powder on the forehead of another woman as part of the Chhath Puja rituals. (Source: AP Photo)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Devotees during this period observe purity and live frugally. They sleep on the floor on a single blanket. (Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
The first day is known as Nahay Khay and devotees usually take holy dip in river Ganga to cleanse themselves of sins or fasts are observed by women.
(Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: How is the festival celebrated?
Devotees observe Lohanda and Kharna on the next day and some women observe fast from sunrise to sunset (Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: 7 songs you can listen to during the festival
On the third day, that is usually considered the main day devotees, observe fast and abstain from even drinking water.
(Express photo by Vishal Shrivastav)
READ Chhath Puja 2017: Importance, History and Significance
Women perform Chhath puja at Sidhwan Canal in Ludhiana. (Source: Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)
