Chhath has started and a few strong-willed devotees have decided to go by the book.

Hundreds of devotees from distant places have gathered at the Patna ghats to stay put on the banks and perform the Chhath rituals exactly how it "should be performed".

Sitapati Devi, a sexagenarian from Makhdumpur, would be spending four days at the city's Collectorate Ghat. She has travelled 72km to reach Patna with her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and a few other family members.

The family would stay at the ghat to observe the four-day rituals on the banks of the Ganga.

"Years back, my mother-in-law had prayed to Chhathi maiya that if my husband gets a job, she would observe Chhath on the banks of the Ganga. My mother-in-law couldn't fulfil her mannat but I have come here on her behalf to observe the festival," said Sitapati, as she started preparing for the first-day ritual.

She added that it was because of Chhathi maiya's blessings that her husband had got a job of a cook around 30 years ago in Delhi.

This is the second year when Sitapati has been observing the festival of the Sun God on the banks of the Ganga in Patna.

Observing the festival on the banks of the Ganga takes a lot of mental and physical strength for the devotees.

Staying under the sky in chilly conditions and a blazing sun in the afternoon often takes a toll on them.

They are supposed to observe the rituals on the banks of the holy river but many refrain from doing so because of such inclement weather conditions and poor facilities provided by the government.

While many observe the four-day rituals at home making artificial ponds, some choose to observe the rituals in water bodies near home because of excessive crowd at the ghats and also because of the polluted Ganga.

However, there are devotees like Sitapati, who despite all odds, make the banks their temporary abode for four days.

Sitapati's daughter-in-law Sangita Devi, who accom-panied her to the ghat, said observing Chhath on the banks of Ganga has its own significance.

"The river is considered pious. Performing the rituals on the banks brings good fortunes for the family," she said.

The Sitapati family reached the Collectorate Ghat around 12noon on Sunday. As soon as they reached the ghat, all started preparing the prasad for Nahay Khay. The women took charge of the prasad after taking a dip in the Ganga. The children played near the river soaking in the pre-winter sun.

Day I or the Nahay Khay rituals include taking a dip in the Ganga and making the prasad, including rice, chana dal (pulses) and kaddu sabzi (bottle gourd curry).

Devotees cook the prasad on earthen stoves. The devotees, who observe the rituals at the ghats, use Gangajal to make the prasad. They believe using Gangajal, increases the worth of the prasad. Likewise, the Sitapati family, too, used the Gangajal to make the prasad.

Ruby Kumari, a 35-year-old from Dihuri village, was another Chhath devotee, who has come with her 15-member family to the same ghat to observe the rituals.

"People prefer to come to the ghats to observe the festival because they believe if they endure pain during the festival, the Sun God would be happier and would shower his blessings. Observing the rituals at the ghats is definitely not an easy task. Staying under the sky with family, including children, is difficult. But faith makes everything smoother," she said.

Prabhavati Devi from Masaurhi, around 25km south of Patna, had also come to the Collectorate Ghat with her family.

"I wasn't conceiving till 10 years after marriage. I had prayed to the Sun God that if He fulfilled my wish, I would be observing Chhath at a Ganga ghat. Two years ago, my wish was fulfilled," she said.

Prabhavati was, however, not happy with the ghat arrangements made by the government.

"There is no tent for devotees who come from far-flung places to observe the festival. We literally live on the banks for four days. The administration should have made some arrangements for us," she said.