CM Samrat Choudhary joins Chitragupta Puja in Patna
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary stepped into the heart of Patna's Kayastha community on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, offering prayers at three separate Chitragupta Puja gatherings across the city — a visible gesture of solidarity with one of Bihar's most culturally rooted traditions.
The Chief Minister attended celebrations at Ashok Nagar (Kankarbagh), the Thakurbari in Gardnibagh, and Saket Vihar, Anisabad — covering a broad sweep of Patna's residential neighbourhoods. Posting on X, he wrote: 'Chitragupta ji Maharaj ki pooja-archana ki' — 'offered worship to Lord Chitragupta' — and extended heartfelt wishes to all devotees on the auspicious occasion.
Who is Chitragupta and why the puja matters in Bihar
Chitragupta is the Hindu deity believed to maintain meticulous records of every soul's deeds — the celestial accountant of karma. The festival is observed with particular fervour by the Kayastha community, traditionally associated with scribal and administrative roles, and holds deep social as well as spiritual significance across Bihar and the broader Hindi-speaking belt.
Chitragupta Puja typically falls in the days following Diwali, making mid-November a dense stretch of festive observances in the state. The worship involves reverence for pens, ink, and account books — symbols of the deity's domain — lending it a character distinct from most other Hindu festivals.
A Chief Minister on the community circuit
Bihar's chief ministers have long maintained a practice of attending community religious events across Patna and beyond — a form of grassroots public engagement woven into the rhythm of the state's political calendar. For Samrat Choudhary, the visits to three separate venues in a single day signal attentiveness to neighbourhood-level communities rather than a single high-profile gathering.
The Kayastha community, though numerically modest, carries considerable social and professional influence across Bihar — making Chitragupta Puja an occasion that draws participation from political figures across party lines every year.
Bihar's festival calendar does not pause for the political off-season — and neither, it seems, does its Chief Minister.