<p>Hundreds of thousands of people, mainly women, marked the Chhath festival across Bihar Wednesday by fasting, praying, singing traditional songs and making offerings to the setting sun.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Devotees attired in new clothes sang folk songs as they prayed to the sun god and set lit earthen lamps afloat on rivers, lakes and other water bodies.<br /><br />The four-day-long Chhath festival began Monday as devotees took a dip in rivers, a tradition known as 'nahai khai'.<br /><br />It was followed by the ritual of 'kharna' Tuesday, when sweet dishes were prepared.<br />Married women fast for 36 hours during the festival. Devotees traditionally offer wheat, milk, sugar cane, bananas and coconuts to the sun.<br /><br />In Patna and other towns, all roads leading to river banks were decorated and cleaned for the devotees to perform 'arghya' or oblations to the sun.<br /><br />The festival concludes Thursday with devotees worshipping the rising sun. Chhath is celebrated six days after Diwali.<br /><br />Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday greeted the nation on Chhath.<br />"My greetings on the auspicious occasion of Chhath Puja. May the blessings of the sun god brighten our lives with joy, peace and prosperity," he said in a tweet.</p>
<p>Hundreds of thousands of people, mainly women, marked the Chhath festival across Bihar Wednesday by fasting, praying, singing traditional songs and making offerings to the setting sun.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Devotees attired in new clothes sang folk songs as they prayed to the sun god and set lit earthen lamps afloat on rivers, lakes and other water bodies.<br /><br />The four-day-long Chhath festival began Monday as devotees took a dip in rivers, a tradition known as 'nahai khai'.<br /><br />It was followed by the ritual of 'kharna' Tuesday, when sweet dishes were prepared.<br />Married women fast for 36 hours during the festival. Devotees traditionally offer wheat, milk, sugar cane, bananas and coconuts to the sun.<br /><br />In Patna and other towns, all roads leading to river banks were decorated and cleaned for the devotees to perform 'arghya' or oblations to the sun.<br /><br />The festival concludes Thursday with devotees worshipping the rising sun. Chhath is celebrated six days after Diwali.<br /><br />Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday greeted the nation on Chhath.<br />"My greetings on the auspicious occasion of Chhath Puja. May the blessings of the sun god brighten our lives with joy, peace and prosperity," he said in a tweet.</p>