President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday conveyed his greetings to the countrymen for Chhath Pooja, a festival celebrated mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
In a message on the eve of Chhath Pooja, the president said it was a unique festival in which devotees worshipped the sun, rivers, water bodies and extolled the virtues of the nature, and it began with rigorous fast and concluded with a sacred bath, a ritual which was undertaken by the devotees from the belief that it purified their soul.
"On the auspicious occasion of Chhath Pooja, I convey greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens in India and abroad. Let this Chhath Pooja be an occasion to express our devotion to Sun God, Mother Earth and rivers. May this festival bring happiness to everyone's life and inspire us to respect the nature more," Kovind said.
Chhath Pooja is celebrated on the sixth day of the month of Kartik as per the Hindu lunar calendar.