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SharePatna: Amid bursting of crackers and arghyas (offering obeisance) to Sun God, the four-day chhath festival celebrations came to an end this morning with offering prayers to the rising sun.
"The celebrations remained peaceful amid tight security arrangements in place," additional director general of police (Headquarters) Neelmani said.
Lakhs of devotees with their relatives and acquaintances thronged thousands of ghats along rivers flowing in Bihar and spruced up ponds, sang Bhojpuri songs before offering the final arghyas (prayers to the rising sun) early this morning seeking blessings of the God for the welfare of their near and dear ones and own families.
The devotees greeted the rising sun with full devotions and exchanged greetings with each others offering prasad cooked with mix of jaggery, sugar, fine wheat with coconuts, raisins and elaichi in pure ghee called thekuas, besides fruits and sweets.
They enjoyed bursting of fire crackers on the ghats before returning to their respective homes and broke their 36-hour fast after performing the puja.
In the state capital, elaborate arrangements were made at ghats along river Ganga and ponds elsewhere for the celebrations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, local divers with boats and other experts, besides doctors and ambulances were kept ready in case of any emergency.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar along with his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi personally kept close watch on the situation and visited most of the ghats in the state capital and exchanged greetings with the devotees and others who were present.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi performed the chhath at her official residence here.
