Chhath festival begins in Jharkhand

The four-day Chhath Puja began on Sunday in Jharkhand, with married women thronging the river banks in the morning for a ritualistic bath.

The women then prepared the traditional meal of boiled rice and pumpkin.

This will be followed by Kharna on Monday when 'kheer' will be cooked in the evening and distributed among neighbours, friends, relatives and well wishers.

"This is most pious festival of Biharis. We pray to Sun God and seek His blessings for the family," Mannu Pandey, a devotee, told IANS.

As the festival draws huge crowds, a cleanliness drive was launched at the river banks a week earlier.

The festival is also celebrated in Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and some other parts of the country.