New Delhi [India], November 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended his greetings to people on Nahay-Khay in Chhath festival.
"My best wishes to all the countrymen on the holy occasion of Nahay-Khay today in the festival of Chhath. My special greetings to all the fasting people. I wish that with the blessings of Chhathi Maiya, your rituals are completed successfully," PM Modi said in a post on X.
The four-day Chhath puja began on Tuesday with Nahay-Khay.
Chhath Puja is celebrated in different parts of the country and is a major festival in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Devotees in these states and in the national capital performed puja rituals on Tuesday morning at Yamuna and Ganga ghats.
Nahay-Khay, which falls on the Chaturthi Tithi of Kartik Shukla Paksha, is about cleansing, and prepping for the festival. It is followed by Kharna on Panchami Tithi on day 2, Chhath Puja on Sashti, and the festival concludes with Usha Arghya on Saptami Tithi.
The festivities will conclude on November 8.
Chhath Puja involves strict rituals and fasting to express gratitude to the Sun God for sustaining life on Earth.