PANAJI
The Bihari community in Goa is preparing to celebrate Chhath or Surya Shashthi – a festival dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Devata). The Sun is worshipped as the source of life and energy. During Chhath, people pray for well-being, prosperity, and progress. Many cultures and tribal communities around the world have also worshipped the Sun as a life-giving force.
Chhath is observed on the sixth day of the fortnight after Diwali, usually in October or November. Another version, called Chaiti Chhath, is celebrated in March or April after Holi, but the Diwali-time celebration is more popular. The festival lasts four days and includes holy bathing, strict fasting without water, standing in water for long periods, and offering prasad and arghya (offerings) to both the rising and setting Sun.
“During Chhath Puja, the four-day rituals are mainly performed by women. In our family, the eldest woman performs the puja. This year, my mother will perform it in our village in Samastipur, Bihar. Later, my elder brother’s wife will take responsibility,” said Saroj Kumar Chaudhari, president of the Chhath Puja Seva Samiti. Chaudhari has lived in Goa since 1993. His family moved here in 2001. He estimates that around 10,000 families from Bihar have now settled across Goa.
The celebration of Chhath Puja in Goa was initiated by Siddheshwar Nath Mishra (S N Mishra), now the Samiti’s secretary in Ponda. The Chhath Puja Seva Samiti was formed on 20 October 2013 to create awareness about the cultural significance of the festival and to bring the community together. Initially, only two families performed the ritual near Mahadev Mandir at Curti-Ponda. Each year, more people joined.
“In 2012, there were just 12 families. The numbers doubled the next year. The festival gained attention in 2014 when the then Governor, the late Dr Mridula Sinha, who was from Bihar, attended the puja and sang along with the late singer Sharada Sinha, fondly known as ‘Bihar Kokila’. Media coverage helped spread the word. Last year, around 4,000 people attended. This year, we expect more than 5,000,” Mishra said.
Last year, around 200-250 women performed the rituals at the riverbank in Ponda. A few men also participate, though their number remains very small. This year, the evening ritual will take place on 27 October from around 5.15 pm to 7 pm, and the morning ritual on 28 October from around 5 am to 8 am.
Chhath Puja will also be held at Miramar (Panaji), Baina (Vasco), and Colva beaches, where hundreds of women and thousands of people come to offer prayers or watch. However, in Ponda, the usual cultural programme has been cancelled this year due to the passing of the local MLA and minister, the late Ravi Naik. The annual community felicitation event is also cancelled.
“Chhath Puja is a festival of the people. It is a Vedic tradition of gratitude to the Sun, passed down with faith from one generation to the next. Earlier, people in Goa would travel to Bihar for the festival, but train tickets were always difficult to get. So, we started celebrating it here, and now people from areas like Porvorim, Sanquelim, Bicholim, and Margao come to Ponda to join,” Mishra said.
Chhath is not only celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal’s Terai region, but also in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Delhi, and Mumbai. It is also observed in countries such as Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and Jamaica, wherever people of Bihari origin have settled.
