Rabri Devi puts a tika on a poster of her jailed husband Lalu Prasad at her residence in Patna on Saturday. (PTI)

Patna, Nov. 9: Putting the Gandhi Maidan blast and last year’s Adalat Ghat stampede episodes behind, Chhath Puja was celebrated with utmost fervour across Bihar.

The state’s four-day-long mahaparv (mega festival) concluded this morning peacefully with lakhs of devotees offering arghya (obeisance) to the rising Sun and no untoward incident being reported.

In Patna, Chhath folklore had filled the air over the past three days as people worshipped the Sun God from Ganga ghats, ponds and rooftop pokhars (tanks). Police were seen in adequate numbers at most ghats, as well as on Ashok Rajpath and Kurji-Digha road along the Ganga bank, regulating traffic. Teams of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Mounted Military Police (MMP) were seen patrolling the ghats and nearby streets. Around 100 personnel, including officers and jawans from the 9th Battalion of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Bihta, patrolled the Ganga from Thursday morning till 9am on Saturday.

The largest congregation of devotees was seen in the diara area connected by Collectorate and Mahendru ghats. “The footfall at Collectorate Ghat exceeded that of last year. An estimated two lakh devotees came to Collectorate Ghat for arghya,” said Sarwanand Shashtri, a priest at Collectorate Ghat.

Devotees at Digha ghats — Shiva, Patipul, Minar, Digha Post Office and Bindtoli — claimed the footfall was comparatively less this time. An NDRF jawan at Patipul Ghat said: “Despite being declared dangerous, around 20,000 people came to offer arghya here. But their numbers were lower than past few years.”

Though yesterday’s sunset was expected at 5.05pm, people began for the ghats from 2pm itself. “The Ganga has shifted several kilometres away from the city at most places. We knew we had to walk a lot. So we thought of leaving early,” said Jyoti Devi, a resident of Mainpura, who went to Pehalwan Ghat.

On the way back, devotees passed roads decked up with decorative lights. Youngsters were seen thronging chaat and phuchka stalls.

Though the temperature stood at 14ºC at the time of doosri arghya on Saturday morning, the chill had no effect on the devotees. Clad in cotton saris, most women waited in waist-deep water for more than half-an-hour for the Sun God to appear.

“There is so much enthusiasm during Chhath that our bodies automatically adapt to such adverse conditions and rigorous rituals. The mind is so filled with devotion there is hardly any thought of distress,” said Sujata Sinha, a resident of SK Nagar.

Youngsters burnt crackers and played on the sand, while the elders concentrated on the rituals. “Chhath is also the time for family reunions. No matter how much the distance, everyone comes home. We also get to meet old friends. That’s why we are always excited about coming home for Chhath,” said Piyush Pandey, a resident of SK Nagar, who works as a software engineer in Calcutta.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar offered arghya this morning in the swimming pool at his official residence. Nitish’s sister-in-law and nephews observed Chhath at his residence.

Freak deaths

Chhath festivities were marred by 12 deaths reported from across the state.

Two incidents of drowning were reported from Patna. In the first, a 12-year-old boy drowned at a ghat, which had been restricted by the administration for performing prayers or other activities, near Nasriganj under Danapur police station.

Ankit had gone to have a bath and drowned. His body was recovered around 8.30am. In another incident, Roshan Kumar (18) drowned at Shahpur Ghat while performing Chhath prayers. His body was recovered around 7.30am.

In Purnea, five persons drowned in different parts, reports PTI. Purnea additional superintendent of police A.K. Pandey said two died in the Gandak river at Dobha Millik village under Rupuali police station area. Three others drowned in ponds in other places of the district, the ASP said. In Muzaffarpur, 20 persons fell into a river while boarding a country boat in the Budhi Gandak river. No casaulty was reported.

In another incident, five persons, including four women, died on the spot when the Islampur-Buxar Passenger train hit their auto-rickshaw at an unmanned railway crossing in Nalanda district around 2 pm on Friday. The victims were Chhath devotees headed for Angari Dham temple.