Youth drowned in poind while making platform on its bank for Chhath

A 20-year-old man was drowned in a pond as he ventured deep into the water body to take a bath after building a make-shift platform for Chhath Puja on its bank, police said on Saturday.

They said the incident took place on Friday evening when Ratsar Khurd villager Surya Pratap Singh was building the platform for the Chhath Puja dedicated to Sun god at the pond of his village to facilitate his family members perform the worship.

Chhath, which is a very popular festival in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, is enthusiastically celebrated by migrants from the two states to all over the country.

Days before the festival, the youths in families undertaking the four-day worship in Bihar and eastern UP flatten small areas on uneven banks of rivers, ponds and other water bodies.

This is to facilitate devotees enter the water bodies with ease to make offerings to the Sun god while standing in the water on the last two days of the festival.

Police said after building the platform on the bank of the pond, Singh apparently ventured deep into the water body and was drowned.

His body was later spotted floating in the pond and was fished out by locals who informed the family and police.

Police have sent the body for post-mortem examination.

Saturday is the second last day of the festival when devotees enter the water bodies and worship the setting sun. On the last days of the festival, the devotees offer prayers to the rising sun.