Overview

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement during the 126th episode of his Mann Ki Baat radio programme on September 28.
• The Ministry of Culture and other stakeholders are preparing documentation for a UNESCO nomination, focusing on the festival’s history, practices and community participation.
• Chhath Puja honors the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya and is primarily observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Nepal.
• Modi said UNESCO recognition would broaden global awareness of the festival’s significance, citing Kolkata’s Durga Puja inscription in 2021 as a model.
• He described Chhath as a celebration of devotion and nature, highlighting rituals such as offering arghya at sunrise and sunset and its emphasis on cleanliness and collective observance.