“Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival and only Vedic Festival dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya and Chhathi Maiya (ancient Vedic Goddess Usha). The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank Surya for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes. The Sun, considered as the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. In Hinduism, Sun worship is believed to help cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and helps ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and elders. The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prashad (prayer offerings) and arghya to the setting and rising sun. Although the festival is observed most elaborately in Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern UP and the Terai regions of Nepal in modern times, and is more prevalent in areas where migrants from those areas have a presence, It is celebrated in all regions and major urban centers in India”. – Wikipedia

A Hindu devotee pushes the foam away to make space for other devotees to worship the Sun god Surya in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. Hindu women fast for the whole day for the betterment of their family and the society during the festival. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu women worship the Sun god Surya in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

A woman laughs as she smears vermilion on the forehead of another woman while worshipping the Sun god Surya against the backdrop of the historic Taj Mahal during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in the northern Indian city Agra October 30, 2014. (Photo by Brijesh Singh/Reuters)

Hindu devotees worship the Sun god Surya against the backdrop of the historic Taj Mahal during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in the northern Indian city Agra October 30, 2014. (Photo by Brijesh Singh/Reuters)

Hindu devotees worship the Sun god Surya in a pond during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in Kolkata October 30, 2014. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

Hindu women worship the Sun god Surya in the waters of the Sun lake during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ajay Verma/Reuters)

Hindu devotees gather to worship the Sun god Surya on the banks of the Sun lake during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ajay Verma/Reuters)

A Hindu woman is helped to get on the banks after worshipping the Sun god Surya in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

A Hindu man worships the Sun god Surya on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

A Hindu devotee pushes the foam away to make space for other devotees to worship the Sun god Surya in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu women smile as they worship the Sun god Surya on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu women worship the Sun god Surya on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu women worship the Sun god Surya in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu devotees worship the Sun god Surya by the waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

Hindu women worship the Sun god Surya in the waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A man dressed as as Hindu Lord Shiva stands in the waters of the Yamuna river after arriving to worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A Hindu woman worships the Sun god Surya in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu women worship the Sun god Surya by the waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 30, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A girl peeps out from an auto rickshaw as she arrives with her family to worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A woman laughs as she covers her face after worshipping the Sun god Surya on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

Women worship the Sun god Surya in the waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A Hindu devotee takes a dip in the waters of the Arabian Sea as she worships the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Hindu devotees pray while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as they worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A vendor selling balloons waits for customers on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

Women prepare to worship the Sun god Surya in the waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A vendor selling balloons waits for customers on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A Hindu devotee prays while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as she worships the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A Hindu devotee lies along the shores of the Arabian Sea as he offers prayers to the Sun god during the Chhat festival in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Hindu devotees lie on a road as they worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in Kolkata October 29, 2014. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

Hindu devotees pray while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as they worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A Hindu devotee lies along the shores of the Arabian Sea as she offers prayers to the Sun god during the Chhat festival in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A girl blows a balloon pipe during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

A Hindu woman steps over a child in a ritual seeking blessings for the child from the Sun god Surya during the Chatt Puja festival in Kolkata October 29, 2014. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

A Hindu woman steps over a child in a ritual seeking blessings for the child from the Sun god Surya during the Chatt Puja festival in Kolkata October 29, 2014. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

Women worship the Sun god Surya in the waters of the Sun lake during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in Chandigarh October 29, 2014. (Photo by Ajay Verma/Reuters)

A woman worships the Sun god Surya in the waters of the Laxmi Narayan lake during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in Agartala October 29, 2014. (Photo by Jayanta Dey/Reuters)

A man cleans the stairs on the banks of polluted river Yamuna before Hindu devotees started worshipping the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu Women worship the Sun god Surya in the polluted waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

A Hindu devotee prays while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as she worships the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Shailesh Andrade/Reuters)

A Hindu devotee prays while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as she worships the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 29, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Hindu Women worship the Sun god Surya in the waters of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu Women stand near a dog as they prepare to worship the Sun god Surya on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

A vendor selling garlands waits for customers as Hindu devotees gather to worship the Sun god Surya on the banks of the river Yamuna during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in New Delhi October 29, 2014. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

Hindu devotees gather to worship the Sun god Surya on the banks of the Sabarmati river during the Hindu religious festival of Chatt Puja in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad October 29, 2014. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)

Hindu devotees pray while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as they worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 30, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Hindu devotees pray while standing in the waters of the Arabian Sea as they worship the Sun god Surya during the Hindu religious festival Chatt Puja in Mumbai October 30, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)