As Chhath Puja approaches, a different kind of energy begins to fill the villages of Bihar. The festival is not just about four days of rituals and prayers; the preparations begin much earlier. From cleaning village ponds and riversides to decorating pathways and arranging bamboo baskets, every small detail becomes part of a collective effort.
How Bihar's Villages Prepare Their Ghats Before Chhath Puja
In many villages, preparing the Chhath ghats is one of the most important activities before the festival. Men, women, young people, elderly residents, and local volunteers come together to clean the water bodies and make the surroundings suitable for devotees.
In many villages, preparing the Chhath ghats is one of the most important activities before the festival. Men, women, young people, elderly residents, and local volunteers come together to clean the water bodies and make the surroundings suitable for devotees. For them, it is not simply a matter of arranging a place for worship. It is a tradition, a responsibility, and an expression of community spirit.
Cleaning the Ghats: The First Step Towards Chhath Puja
Long before the first Arghya is offered to the setting Sun, villagers begin cleaning the ponds, riversides, and other water bodies where Chhath Puja rituals will take place.
The work often starts with removing accumulated garbage, plastic waste, dry leaves, and unwanted vegetation from the surrounding areas. In places where ponds have become shallow or muddy, local residents may also arrange for cleaning and maintenance.
In many villages, people take the initiative themselves, while local panchayats and community organisations support the arrangements. Everyone understands that the ghats must be clean because devotees will stand in the water while offering prayers to the Sun God.
This emphasis on cleanliness is closely connected with the spirit of Chhath Puja, where purity and discipline hold great importance.
Villagers Come Together to Prepare the Riverbanks and Ponds
One of the most beautiful sights before Chhath Puja is seeing an entire village participate in ghat preparations. Young men often take responsibility for cleaning the water's edge, levelling pathways, and arranging temporary facilities. Elderly residents share their experience and guide others about traditional arrangements. Women contribute by preparing puja materials, organising community activities, and ensuring that the arrangements are suitable for devotees.
In several villages, local groups also arrange bamboo barricades, temporary steps, ropes, and designated areas to help people enter and exit the water safely.
These preparations become a community activity in which people work together without expecting anything in return. Even those living outside the village sometimes return home before Chhath to participate in the celebrations and help with the arrangements.
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Decorating the Ghats with Lights, Colours and Traditional Touches
Once the cleaning work is completed, attention turns towards decorating the ghats. In many Bihar villages, pathways leading to the water bodies are decorated with colourful flags, flowers, rangoli, and traditional designs. Some places use bamboo structures and temporary arches to create a festive entrance.
Small lamps and electric lights are installed around the ghats so that devotees can perform evening rituals comfortably. During Sandhya Arghya, when hundreds of devotees gather to offer prayers to the setting Sun, these decorations create a beautiful atmosphere.
The sight of illuminated ghats, traditional Chhath songs, and devotees carrying baskets filled with fruits and offerings gives village celebrations a special charm. However, the style of decoration differs from village to village. While some prefer simple and traditional arrangements, others organise elaborate decorations with the support of local committees.
Making Arrangements for Devotees
Preparing the ghats is not limited to cleaning and decoration. Villagers also focus on making the celebrations convenient and safe for everyone.
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Some of the common arrangements include:
Temporary pathways: Making the routes to ponds and riversides easier to access.
Lighting arrangements: Installing lights near the ghats and surrounding areas.
Safety measures: Putting up barricades and ropes near deeper sections of water.
Drinking water: Arranging clean drinking water for devotees and visitors.
Clean surroundings: Providing dustbins and ensuring that waste is collected.
Space for offerings: Creating designated areas where devotees can keep their soop, daura, fruits, and other puja materials.
In larger villages, local committees may also coordinate with administration officials to arrange medical assistance, security, and crowd management.
These efforts are particularly important because Chhath Puja attracts large gatherings, especially during the evening and morning Arghya rituals.
The Role of Women in Ghat Preparations
Although men and young volunteers are often seen carrying out physical cleaning and construction work, women also play an equally important role in preparing for Chhath Puja. In many households, women who observe the fast, known as vratins, are closely involved in deciding the requirements for the rituals. They help ensure that the arrangements follow traditional practices and that the surroundings remain clean and suitable for worship.
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Women also participate in cleaning the pathways, preparing traditional offerings, decorating the puja area, and coordinating with other families.
For many village women, Chhath is an occasion when generations come together. Mothers, daughters, daughters-in-law, and elderly family members share responsibilities and pass on traditional practices.
When People Living Outside Bihar Return to Their Villages
Another interesting aspect of Chhath preparations is the return of people who live in other cities and states. Many Biharis working in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and other parts of the country try to visit their native villages during Chhath Puja. For them, the festival is an opportunity to reconnect with their families and participate in a tradition that has been part of their lives since childhood.
Some also contribute financially to ghat cleaning, lighting, decoration, and other arrangements. In certain villages, people living outside Bihar form groups to support the local celebrations. This collective participation makes Chhath Puja more than a household festival. It becomes an occasion for the entire village to come together.
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Chhath Puja and the Importance of Keeping Water Bodies Clean
The tradition of preparing ghats also highlights the importance of maintaining clean ponds, rivers, and other water bodies.
Since devotees directly enter the water during Chhath Puja, cleanliness is essential. Villagers often make special efforts to remove plastic waste and other pollutants before the festival.
However, maintaining cleanliness should not be limited to the festive season. The same water bodies are part of everyday village life and need regular care throughout the year.
Many communities are also becoming more conscious of using natural decorations, reducing plastic waste, and ensuring that puja materials are disposed of responsibly.
Chhath Puja offers an opportunity to remind people that rivers and ponds are not merely places for religious rituals; they are important natural resources that deserve care and protection.
The Ghats Come Alive During Sandhya and Usha Arghya
After days of cleaning, decorating, and making arrangements, the ghats finally come alive during the main rituals of Chhath Puja.
On the evening of Sandhya Arghya, families begin arriving with bamboo baskets filled with thekua, fruits, sugarcane, coconuts, and other traditional offerings. Devotees stand in the water and offer prayers to the setting Sun. The following morning, before sunrise, the same ghats welcome devotees once again for Usha Arghya. The atmosphere is filled with traditional songs, prayers, and the sounds of people greeting one another.
For a few hours, the entire village seems to gather at one place. People who may have been busy with their daily routines throughout the year come together to celebrate their shared faith and traditions. The beauty of this moment is not just in the thousands of diyas or colourful decorations. It lies in the collective effort that made the celebration possible.
More Than Preparations, It Is a Tradition of Togetherness
In Bihar's villages, the preparation of Chhath ghats reflects the true spirit of the festival. It shows how religious traditions can bring entire communities together and encourage people to work for a common purpose.
Whether it is cleaning a small village pond, repairing a pathway, arranging lights, or helping an elderly devotee reach the water, every contribution matters. As Chhath Puja approaches each year, these preparations remind people that the festival begins long before the first prayer is offered. It begins with the people, their shared responsibilities, and their dedication to keeping an age-old tradition alive.
And when the first rays of the morning Sun fall on the water during Usha Arghya, the beautifully prepared ghats become a reflection of something much bigger than celebration: the faith, unity, and cultural identity of Bihar.
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