PHAGWARA: About 40, 000 migrants, mostly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh performed Chhath puja this evening by offering ‘ark’ to the setting sun along the waters of Chachoki distributary in Phagwara while thousands of migrants performed puja in Sutlej River Phillaur. The water was streamed in specially for the occasion as the canal otherwise had been dry for the past several years with shrubs, filth, and litter strewn in and around.
It was learnt that political bigwigs had approached the irrigation officials for securing the flow of water in the distributary in order to win over the migrants as Chhath was one of the biggest festivals for Biharis and residents of Uttar Pradesh. Though after the instructions of Phagwara SDM Jai-Inder Singh the irrigation department released water today but its flow could not be stopped by a bunch and overflow water entered in nearby fields creating much more inconvenience for the farmers.
However the water was also provided to Chachoki small canal in Phagwara from a tube well installed near the canal in 2014, with the hard efforts of former Chief Parliamentary Secretary and present Union Minister of State Som Parkash .
A mela-like atmosphere prevailed at the Chachoki canal on the periphery of Phagwara.
Migratory labourers working in JCT heaved a sigh of relief after restoration of power supply after two days.Power supply of JCT was disconnected by PSPCL due to non payment of the electricity bill of Rs 3.35 Crores.
The migrants burst crackers, illuminated their houses and organised langar. The Bihari youth volunteers regulated traffic on the GT road themselves.
Politicians belonging to different political parties thronged to celebrate Chhath Puja festival may be only to cash their respective vote banks with political motives.
Even Punjabis have taken a fancy for this festival of migrants. They participated in it, some out of political compulsions and others just out of curiosity. Some of them brought trolley loads of reddish, while others gifted boxes of apples. Some Punjabi women also observed Chhath fast.
Chhath is marked by rigorous fasting for two days during which even drinking of water is prohibited. It is harsher than Karva Chauth — fast observed by married women in Punjab. Chhath is performed by married women for the welfare of their children, especially sons.
Kameshwar, Vijay Kumar Ravi Kumar and Anil Kumar Bihari brothers, while talking to this correspondent disclosed that the real name of the festival was Ravi Khashti Vrata, meaning a fast for sun observed six days after Divali. They traced the origin of this fast to the days of Mahabharta and claimed that even Kunti used to observe it.
After the ‘ark’ to the setting Sun, a religious ceremony called ‘kosi’ would be held in homes with puja and Chhath hymns, they informed. Then ‘ark’ would be offered to the rising sun tomorrow after which the fast would be broken.