Chhath Puja begin on Nov 4 with `Nahai Khai’

Alok Mishra

Patna: Chhath Puja fever has gripped Patnaites, who were on purchasing spree at different markets of the state capital on November 3 as the first day of Chhath puja, known popularly as `Nahai Khai’, falls on November 4.

Visit any locality of the city, one can find several makeshift stalls selling fruits including bananas, apple, water fruit (panifal singhara), ginger, coconut, nimbu (gagar) and gourd. People thronged the shops at GPO roundabout, Chitkohra, Mussalahpur Bazar Samiti, Digha Haat and Danapur in large number for purchasing. On Thursday morning, a large number of devotees thronged the GPO roundabout to purchase daura, soop, earthen chulha, woods of mango tree and other materials as most of these things are stocked in large number here.

The prices of puja materials vary according to size of daura, soop and kosi haathi. The price of daura ranges  from Rs 100 to 150, coconut from Rs 15 to 30, nimbu (gagar) from Rs 15 to25, apple from Rs 40 to Rs 120 per kilogram of different varities, chulha (earthen heath) from Rs 75 to Rs 100.

Several markets have come up in Nehru Nagar, Gosain Tola, Hariya Bazaar, Pethia Bazaar and Sadar Bazaar (Danapur), Postal Park and Chiraiyantand localities. Coconut from Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are being sold at some of the stalls in the city. A shopkeeper at SK Puri market claimed that he had brought coconut from Goa in large number this year.

Melodious Chhath songs of Sharda Sinha and other singers are renting the air. Though the Patna district administration has initiated steps for cleaning different ghats of the city, several social organizations have also come up for cleaning the roads. Members of these committees were seen cleaning the roads leading to the ghats of Ganga. Even the NDRF is geared up for the occasion. It plans to depute its men at different ghats of Patna and other districts of the state to avert any untoward incident.