PHAGWARA: As the auspicious festival of Chhath Puja approaches, beginning on October 25 and concluding on October 28, fervent preparations are underway across Punjab, particularly in regions with large migrant populations from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The four-day festival, celebrated on the sixth day after Diwali, holds deep religious and cultural significance for devotees who worship both the setting and rising sun, seeking divine blessings for prosperity, fertility, and family well-being.
Over the past decade, the steady migration of labourers from eastern states to Punjab’s industrial and agricultural hubs has transformed the region’s cultural landscape. With an estimated over 45, 000 devotees in Phagwara alone, and nearly ten times that number participating in neighbouring towns such as Ludhiana, the celebration of Chhath Puja has grown from small, private observances into grand, community-wide events.