Chhath in Ranchi began on Friday with devotees observing Nahay Khay, the opening ritual of the four-day festival, as the Ranchi Municipal Corporation expanded sanitation, lighting, access and safety arrangements across ghats and artificial ponds in the city.
Devotees observed the first ritual by taking ritual baths, cleaning their homes and preparing a sattvik meal of bottle gourd, chana dal and rice. The meal is prepared without onion and garlic, first consumed by those observing the fast and then shared with family members.
“Nahay Khay is about purifying oneself before undertaking the difficult fast. The food is kept simple and sattvik because we begin our observance by cleansing both our surroundings and our bodies. Lauki is traditionally prepared as part of this first meal,” Anjana Radhika, a devotee from Booty More, said.
Families observing Chhath have also started preparing thekua and arranging bamboo soops, dauras and other puja items. Wheat is washed, dried in the sun and sent for grinding before being used for prasad. Devotees said kitchens and utensils are kept separate during the festival as part of household preparations.
“We make sure the wheat is properly dried in the sun and kept covered so that no dust or impurities get into it. Every member of the family has a responsibility during Chhath, whether it is preparing prasad or arranging puja items,” said Anamika, a devotee from Bardhaman Compound.
The next major ritual, Kharna, will be observed on Saturday. Devotees will keep a day-long fast and break it after sunset with prasad traditionally including jaggery-based kheer and rotis. The 36-hour fast begins after Kharna and continues until the morning offering to the rising sun on Monday.
“Fasting without water begins after Kharna. Devotees do not consume food or water during this period,” said Sakshi Kumari, a devotee from Ashok Nagar.
For the public celebrations, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation has deployed more than 1,200 sanitation workers and 200 additional labourers across 72 ghats and their approach roads. The civic body has also prepared 63 artificial ponds, installed barricades and arranged 501 temporary changing rooms.
The municipal arrangements include 1,508 additional lights at 83 locations and 88 generators to provide backup during power cuts. The deployment covers both the ritual sites and the routes used by devotees to reach them, placing sanitation, illumination and crowd movement at the centre of the city’s preparations.
Chief minister Hemant Soren extended greetings to Chhath vratis and devotees in a social media post, wishing them happiness, peace, prosperity and well-being. The festival will continue with Kharna on Saturday before the final morning offering on Monday.
