Govt grants public holiday tomorrow for Chhath celebration

Kathmandu: Government has decided to grant a public holiday tomorrow on the occasion of Chhath festival.
Issuing a communiqué today, Ministry of Home Affairs has announced the nationwide public holiday for Friday to celebrate Chhath festival.
The festival is observed most elaborately in Terai regions of Nepal including in Bihar and Jharkhand states of India.
People of Terai celebrate Chhath festival in the capital city too by congregating around ponds and streams in Ranipokhari, Thapathali, Aurighat, Balkhu, including other places.
Chhath is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya.The Sun, considered the god of energy and of the life-force, is worshiped during the Chhath festival to promote well-being, prosperity and progress.
In Hinduism, Sun worship is believed to help cure a variety of diseases, including leprosy, and helps ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and elders.
The rituals of the festival are rigorous and are observed over a period of four days. They include holy bathing, fasting and abstaining from drinking water (Vratta), standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prashad (prayer offerings) and arghya to the setting and rising sun.