Vendors in Dhanbad sell sugarcane ahead of Chhath on Sunday. Picture by Gautam Dey

Ranchi, Nov. 2: Non-resident Bhojpuris will no longer miss out on Chhath celebrations.

All the puja paraphernalia, along with e-greetings, have already been sent to hundreds of believers abroad — most of them living in Mauritius, Fiji, Muscat and Surinam.

Members of the Bhojpuri Samaj and Akhil Vishva Bhojpuri Vikas Manch, Jharkhand, are also making preparations to dispatch Chhath prasad to their brethren abroad. And all these for free.

According to figures collected from the association, there are at least 50 Bhojpuri-speaking families residing in Mauritius, about 40 families in Muscat and about eight in Surinam.

B.N. Tiwary, the president of the Bhojpuri Samaj and Akhil Vishva Bhojpuri Vikas Manch, Jharkhand, told The Telegraph that this year they has dispatched puja items for Chhath to 100 families in different countries.

“There are some items required for the festival, which are not available in Mauritius, Muscat and elsewhere. So, we thought why not send these to our people abroad free of cost,” Tiwary said.

The association members are also sending e-greetings for Chhath through their website www.bidesia.co.in.

Members of the Indian Social Club present in Mauritius, Fiji, Muscat and Surinam are gearing up to celebrate this festival for which the association has received puja items such as rori (red vermilion), coconut, sacred threads, earthen pots and pans made of bamboo from the Bhojpuri samaj.

Tiwary said the Chhath prasad would be packed in small boxes after offerings are made to Surya — the sun god — in the morning by chhathvratis.

“The festival will end on November 5 this year. We have decided to start packing the prasad the same evening and dispatch them within the next two days — November 6 and 7 — through courier,” said Tiwary.

“We will not pack perishable items, but only things like dry coconuts, sweets prepared of flour and jaggery and panifal (a kind of fruit),” he said, reiterating that they would not charge a penny for the prasad. “It is a way of celebrating togetherness. Why should we charge any fee? It is the thought that matters,” he added.