Chhath Puja: Four Days Of Fasting And Prayers

Community leaders reminisce how the festival started in Mumbai and later became a competition between parties

- MANOJ RAMAKRISHNAN

After the lavish celebrations of Diwali, the festival of Chhath Puja will be marked by fasting and prayers by the city's Bihari community from November 17-20. As indicated by the name, the first day of the puja is the sixth one after Diwali, marked by satvik food.

The biggest gathering will be at Girgaum Chowpatty at sunset today (Friday), but there will be crowds of worshippers at Madh Island, Juhu, Dadar Chowpatty, Sion Talao and over a 100 other spots in the city. The puja can be done wherever there is a natural water body.