An emotion rather than a festival for the people of Bihar, Jharkhand and UP, Chhath Puja is now displayed on a large canvas at the Ganga ghats. The festival is dedicated to the Sun god, which people believe sustains life on Earth. Today is the last day of Chhath, which was being celebrated from 28th October.
On this occasion of Chhath Puja, the artists and students of Bihar have come up with a 21 ft long and 15 ft wide Chhath puja painting at Digha ghat. In a statement quoted by ANI, Vivekanand Pandey, Pro Vice-Chancellor at Amity University said that the painting will be submitted for the World Book of Records to spread the message and importance of Chhath puja around the world. “The festival shows that sunrise and sunset both are very important. Another thing which is important is ritualistic purity. We want the message of this festival to reach the world”, says Vivekanand Pandey.
The painting depicts the two major characters Draupadi and Goddess Sita, who started the festival. It showcased the utmost purity in which a woman of the house performs the rituals. It’s an image of the emotions and rituals involved in this festival. Regarding the painting, a student told that authentic colours have been used in making the painting. The painting is made with turmeric, indigo, sandalwood and made on a cotton cloth.
Owing to the worry of not finding any records of the festival, the students of Bihar aim to record the Chhath mahaparv in the world map with the help of the art and culture of Bihar.