Residents of Mithila region prepare for the four day Chhath festival

Residents in the Mahottari and Mithila regions of Nepal are preparing for the Chhath festival, a four day period of religious devotion dedicated to the Sun God, Surya Dev, and Shashti Devi.

Local people are cleaning and constructing Chhath ghats, which are riverbanks and ponds used for religious rituals. Young people are leading the efforts to decorate these sites and paint house walls with bamboo planks and straw.

Communities are also installing lights in public spaces and streets as they prepare for the festivities. Markets in the Mithila region are seeing a surge in demand for puja materials and agricultural products. Farmers are bringing sugarcane, ginger, turmeric, and citrons to markets to sell for the festival. Local businesses are also reporting high sales of bamboo items and clay pots, as tradition requires people to use new utensils for the offerings.

Families are preparing prasad, or religious offerings, at home by grinding rice and wheat flour. The festival concludes with rituals where devotees offer water to the setting sun and the rising sun. Participants believe the festival promotes humility and unity, as people from different castes and communities sit together at the ghats to worship.