Chhath, like all major festivals, entwines people’s lives in more ways than one. While the devotees undertake the arduous routine of fasting and prayers, there are others who pitch in — some selling puja ware for profit, others putting in their labour of love for free. All of them, however, feel they gain spiritually from their endeavours.

Bihar’s signature festival creates markets and livelihood for a large number of people. Temporary bazaars selling items needed by Chhath devotees — such as soops, earthen pots, firewood, bamboo baskets , fruits , etc — spring up at Hartali Mor, Digha Ghat, Boring Road and several other places in Patna.

Shaheena Khatun, 45, who sells utensils, chairs and clothes in the alleys of Daroga Rai Path at Hartali Mor, makes earthen chulhas (stoves) for cooking prasad during Chhath. Shaheena, a Muslim, said she feels happy in making chulhas for Hindu devotees. For her, work is worship.

For a month, she has been drying up the earthen chulhas in the hope of selling them to retailers who sell them for a higher price to customers.

She has priced each chulha at Rs 60 if bought in bulk, and sells a single piece for Rs 100-150.

She, however, is deep in debt. That is why, she said: “I have not made much profit this time.”

On Boring Canal Road, Indrapal Agrawal, 38, and Amit Yadav, 37, pulverise wheat free of cost for the devotees across Patna who come to their mill for the last 25 years during Chhath.

Brajeshwar Pandit, 52, manager at a flour mill in Patna City, sells Chhath Puja woven items such as soop and daura in which fruits and earthen lamps are kept and offered to Chhathi Maiyya, and also firewood for making prasad. He sells his goods near the Digha railway level crossing. He said that he has been doing this to put his time to constructive use since he is now unemployed. Brajeshwar has got the woven material in bulk from Chitkohra and the firewood from

dried mango trees of the Digha Aam Bageecha. He charges Rs 110 per pair of soops and dauras, and Rs 90 per 5kg of firewood. Chhath, he said, “is a unique festival”. He said he feels he also gains spiritually by serving the devotees.

Near the Digha level crossing, Nagendra Paswan, 48, sits with heaps of coconut and sells them at Rs 30 each. He sells coconut only during Chhath. In other seasons, he sells eggs. The egg business slows down during Hindu festivals, he said, and to continue earning a living he has been switching to selling fruits and coconuts during Chhath. The coconuts come from Andhra Pradesh in bulk.

“Chhath makes me feel excited and happy,” Nagendra said.

Even someone like Sumit Kumar, 16, a Class IX student of St. Dominic Savio's High School, is busy serving the devotees at Digha Haat. He helps out his maternal uncle in the sale of soops, dauras and coconuts whenever he gets time from his studies. He said he does it out of love for his family and the festival of Chhath.