In England, 500 families to celebrate the folk festival Chhath together

New Delhi| Chhath has gone from local to global. A group in England is doing the same thing. This time a four-day folk festival has been organized together in Birmingham. If it starts with bathing and eating, it will end with Usha Arghya. Even after this the responsibility will be fulfilled. The question arises that how, by delivering Thekua Prasad to the believers.

Nothing will be charged from anyone, it will just be delivered to the address. This time the target is six thousand rupees. A total of 500 families will be mobilizing in the industrial city of Birmingham, England. The event has been organized at Venkateswara Balaji Temple. Last year a similar event was organized in Leeds which was quite successful. This time it is being organized by Biharis Beyond Boundary Group. The formal beginning has started with bathing and eating. Following the customs of their region, the women prepared gram and pumpkin dal, made rice and together consumed it with their brothers and sisters.

Arrangements have been completed to offer Arghya from Kharna to the setting and rising sun. People of Bihar, Jharkhand and Purvanchal origin are celebrating the festival together in the city’s famous Hindu temple Shri Venkateswara Balaji.

Bokaro-born Ajay Kumar, who is also the coordinator of this program, says, “About 100 additional families have joined us this year as compared to last year, it shows that people have unwavering faith in Chhath Puja and as people heard about it, They kept joining us. This time a total of 13 women are observing fast. And all the arrangements for these were started 2 months in advance. Materials like Daura, Dalia, Suthani were brought from various markets of India. Apart from this, the group has also organized a wonderful event to transfer the glory of Chhathi Mai to the next generation. According to Rishikant who is from Patna, “This year our effort will be that our children also celebrate this great festival with great enthusiasm and feel connected to our culture and practices, hence this year special Chhath painting and Chhath song competition for children, The story of Chhath Puja has been organized through animation”

Group activist Nishant Naveen says that it is the global nature of Chhath that this time officials from the Indian High Commission in Birmingham and local city councilors will also participate in the puja.

Chhath Prasad is also greatly glorified. So this time too, like last time, there are plans to distribute 6000 Thekua. From packet to address has been collected. Paritosh says that there is only one thought that Prasad should reach those who will not be able to participate in the puja due to some reason and they should not be deprived of the feeling of being in the country even in a foreign country.