When a Bihari politician says 'ek Bihari hone ke naate mujhe garv hai' — 'as a Bihari, I am proud' — on the morning of Chhath Puja, it is more than a seasonal greeting. Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh extended heartfelt wishes to the nation and to his brothers and sisters in Bihar on Sunday, 15 November 2026, calling the festival an unparalleled celebration of faith, discipline, purity, and enduring values.

In his post, Singh described Chhath as a symbol of reverence and gratitude toward nature and the environment — a dimension of the festival that often gets overshadowed by its spectacular riverbank imagery. He wrote that the festival's defining spirit lies in the equal veneration offered to both the rising and the setting sun, adding: 'This reflects the beauty, harmony, and life values of our culture.'

The Sun That Sets Is Worshipped Too

That detail — the arghya (ritual water offering) given to the sun as it dips below the horizon — is what sets Chhath apart from virtually every other solar festival in the Hindu calendar. Most sun-worship traditions celebrate the ascending, victorious arc. Chhath alone insists on honouring the declining sun with equal devotion, a philosophy of gratitude that extends to endings, not just beginnings. It is the kind of lived theology that travels well: Bihari communities in Delhi, Mumbai, and across the Indian diaspora now carry Chhath to riverbanks and urban lakesides far beyond its eastern heartland.

Bihar's Biggest Festival and Its National Footprint

Chhath Puja is a four-day observance rooted in Bihar's agrarian and riverine traditions, observed on the Shashthi tithi of the Kartik month in the Hindu lunar calendar. Fasting, holy dips, and the offering of seasonal produce to the sun god mark a cycle that demands remarkable physical discipline — devotees stand waist-deep in rivers for extended periods, often in the early-morning cold. The festival's emphasis on personal austerity and environmental stewardship has drawn renewed national attention as river-cleaning initiatives tie themselves to its ethos.

Singh, the Lok Sabha MP from Begusarai — a constituency in the Mithila-Bhojpur belt where Chhath sentiment runs deep — closed his post with a prayer to Chhathi Maiya that Bihar and the whole country continue on a path of happiness, prosperity, and development. 'Jai Chhathi Maiya!' he signed off.

For a minister whose political base is woven into the social fabric of Bihar, the post does double duty: it is genuine cultural expression and a reminder to the state's vast electorate — including millions who celebrate Chhath far from home — that their representative shares their calendar, their river, and their prayer.