Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann greets people on Chhath Puja
Synopsis
The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab conveyed Chhath Puja greetings from CM Bhagwant Mann on 15 November 2026, recognising the four-day Sun God festival observed widely by Bihari migrant communities living across the state.
Key Takeaways
The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab posted Chhath Puja greetings on 15 November 2026 .
CM Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party has governed Punjab since March 2022 .
Chhath Puja is a four-day Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God, rooted in Bihar , eastern Uttar Pradesh , and Jharkhand .
Bihari and eastern-UP migrant workers form a significant community across Punjab's industrial cities.
The greeting reflects a standard practice among Indian state governments to acknowledge festivals of all resident communities.
The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab extended warm greetings to all devotees on the occasion of Chhath Puja on Sunday, 15 November 2026, with the message going out in the name of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Chhath Puja is a four-day Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God, observed with deep reverence primarily in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. The festival has steadily grown in visibility across northern India, carried westward by large communities of Bihari and eastern-UP migrant workers who have made Punjab their home — particularly in industrial belts around Ludhiana and Amritsar.
Bhagwant Mann, who has led the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab since March 2022, extended 'warmest greetings' through the official CMO handle, a practice that reflects the state government's effort to acknowledge the cultural traditions of migrant communities alongside Punjab's dominant Sikh and Hindu observances.
Indian state governments routinely issue such festival greetings on occasions tied to communities beyond the state's dominant demographic — a soft signal of inclusive governance that costs little but lands meaningfully with diaspora communities far from home.
Point of View
Acknowledging Chhath Puja is a low-cost, high-visibility gesture toward a sizable Bihari voter and worker constituency. It sits within a broader AAP pattern of courting non-dominant communities in states where the party governs. Whether such gestures translate into substantive cultural programming or policy support for migrant workers is the more consequential question.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chhath Puja and why is it celebrated?
Chhath Puja is a four-day Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God, observed primarily in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. Devotees fast, offer arghya (water offerings) at sunrise and sunset, and pray for prosperity and well-being.
Why did the Punjab government post Chhath Puja greetings?
Punjab has a large population of Bihari and eastern-UP migrant workers, particularly in industrial cities. The CMO's greeting acknowledges their cultural traditions as part of inclusive governance.
Who is Bhagwant Mann?
Bhagwant Mann is the Chief Minister of Punjab and a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party. He assumed office in March 2022 after AAP's landslide victory in the Punjab assembly elections.
Is Chhath Puja a public holiday in Punjab?
Chhath Puja is not traditionally a public holiday in Punjab, but it is widely observed by migrant communities from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh residing in the state.
When was this Chhath Puja greeting posted?
The greeting was posted by the Chief Minister's Office of Punjab on Sunday, 15 November 2026, at 7:30 AM IST.
