People offer prayers at Chitragupta puja in Jamshedpur on Sunday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Nov. 7: The festival of lights may be gone, but the festive calendar brimmeth over, keeping post-Diwali blues at bay.

While Bengalis celebrated Bhai Phota today, Bihari sisters held Govardhan Puja for their brothers’ wellbeing and the Kayastha community celebrated Chitragupta Puja.

Sisters in Bengali homes performed the ritual of applying pastes of sandalwood and turmeric with curd on the foreheads of their brothers. “After rituals, we look forward to the family reunion, the feast and the exchange of gifts,” beamed Tata employee Gautam Sarkar, who visits his sister in Calcutta every year on this day.

Meanwhile, women and girls from Bihari homes performed Govardhan puja — worship of the Govardhan mountain near Mathura according to Hindu mythology.

“The origin of this day goes back to the Dwapara Yuga. According to lore, lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan today for the wellbeing of farmers and cattle. On this day women and girls pray for their brothers. We use cow dung to create a replica of the mountain and sing songs, praying for our brothers,” said Kadma-based homemaker Krishna Singh.

The Kayastha community also performed Chitragupta Puja across many places in the city today, including New Baradwari, Golmuri and Uliyan. For believers, today was Chitragupta Jayanti or the birthday of lord Chitragupta, divine recorder of human conduct. “Chitragupta Maharaj is the patron deity of Kayasthas. Whoever performs today’s yajna is spared the tortures of hell. The puja symbolises the worship of intellect,” said Rajiv Bhushan, member, Chitragupta Samaj, Uliyan.