From the US to Japan to Mauritius: How Biharis celebrated Chhath Puja away from home

Social media is filled with stories of people heading home in Bihar for one of the most important festivals of the year — Chhath Puja. Exorbitant airfares, waitlisted train tickets and pressure of post Diwali work at office have not have not dampened the determination of Bihari migrants across the country to make it home for the four-day celebration. But have all of them made it back? Well, the answer is no. Some have stayed back to spread the fervour of the festival across the country and even overseas. The familiar sounds of Chhath songs are echoing not only in New Delhi, but also in America, Canada, Mauritius, Dubai, and Japan. WION tracked Chhath Puja celebrations across the world and spoke to members of the Indian diaspora who are keeping the festival's traditions alive thousands of miles away from home.

JAPAN

Japan, the land of rising sun, was among the first to celebrate the festival, with devotees offering prayers to the setting Sun on Sunday (Nov 15). They will also be among the first to offer ‘Arghya’ to the rising Sun on Monday (Nov 16). The timing for the sunrise in Japanese cities is between 2:47 AM to 3.05 AM (IST). Utsav Singh from Gaya, celebrated the festival in Japan's Tokyo, shared the glimpses on social media. Videos shows people making ‘thekua’, taking part in ‘kharna puja’ and praying to the Sun God. 'Soop' filled with offerings are also seen in the video. Speaking to WION, Sunil Mahour, resident of Gaya, who was present during the celebration, said that it brought together more than 100-150 devotees for the first Arghya, with some local residents also joining the festivities. "Organising Chhath Puja here requires permission from the local authorities. People come together to make the arrangements, and it is heartening to see some local residents participate as well," he said.

MAURITIUS

In Mauritius, where Bhojpuri and Bihari heritage runs deep, Chhath Puja is celebrated openly along beaches and coastal waters as a major cultural event. Glimpses of the festival in Mauritius were shared on social media by Founder of Undiscovered Ashish Kaushik. In a social media post, Kaushik said that
on 2 November 1834, a ship named Atlas arrived in Mauritius carrying 36 Indian indentured labourers from the Dhangar community, originally from the hills of Bihar. They had signed five-year labour contracts in Calcutta and were brought to Mauritius under British colonial rule. Over the following decades, thousands of people from Bihar made Mauritius their home, carrying their language and traditions – one of the most important being the Chhath Puja.

Speaking to WION, Kaushik shared his experience of being in Mauritius during the festival. "It has been amazing. I had been planning this trip for a while but couldn’t find the right local connect. Then I got in touch with Dr. Avdesh, founder of Swastikam Foundation. His foundation has been organising Chhath celebrations here for the last two years, with support from the local council and the community. The participation and enthusiasm of local people is incredible.

Honestly, it feels like a mini India here. The Bhojpuri songs, traditional attire, rituals and devotion are so similar to Bihar that I never really felt away from home," he said.

AUSTRALIA

Roshni Rajput, who hails from Patna, celebrated the festival in Sydney, New South Wales and shared glimpses of the day on her social media. Speaking to WION, she said that the Chhath Puja celebrations were organised by those observing the fast. “They opened their homes to friends, family and anyone who wished to be part of the festivities” She added that members of the Bihar and Jharkhand communities from across New South Wales came together, helping one another with the arrangements and rituals. "It felt like home. People came together and made sure nobody felt alone while celebrating away from Bihar. But nothing can replace the feeling of being home. You can see that emotion in my videos," she said.

The US

The Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA) took the responsibility of organising the Chhath Puja at Thompson Park in Monroe, New Jersey. Over 1,500 members attended this celebration in New Jersey. "We started celebrating Chhath Puja in the US more than 5 years ago, and with each year diaspora members got attached in large numbers," said a community member of BJANA. Sharing glimpses of the festival, Karun Krishna, a Bihari immigrant in California showed how they celebrated the first day of Chhath Puja. “The tradition should not be broken, no matter where you are. It doesn't matter if it is India or America,” he said.

For the first day of Chhath Puja, known as “Nhay Khaye”, devotees take bath and begin the four-day celebration with offerings to the Sun God. The Bihari community in the US also did the same. Videos showed them cooking bottle gourd with pulses and plain steamed white rice. The meal marks the beginning of preparations for the 36-hour waterless fast.

Similarly, Richa Mishra, a resident of Houston, Texas, showed how the riverbank has been decorated for the festival. She said that the venue was the Jagannath Hindu Temple in Rosenberg. Sharing visuals on her social media profile, she showed how the Indian-Americans may be far from their homeland, but the spirit of togetherness that the festival of Chhath brings is alive in America as well. The tradition has found a news place far beyond India's borders. From making ‘kheer and puri’ on kharna day to making ‘thekua’ for the offerings, they don't miss out on a single ritual, Mishra told WION. “We make it a point to feel at home even when we are miles away,” she added. Videos shared by Mishra showed devotees lighting earthen lamps (diya) and offers the freshly cooked pudding, along with bananas, betel leaves, and water, to Chhathi Maiya and Sun God.

Rashmi and Abhinav from Arizona and Anil Singh from Massachusetts also shared glimpses of Chhath Puja in their cities. "More than three hundred people gather for the celebrations in Massachusetts," said Singh, who is from Darbhanga. Diaspora organisations and temple committees host major public gatherings near lakes, riverbanks, and temple ponds, he added. He also said that volunteers coordinate permits, parking, and community meals, while devotees time their Sandhya Arghya (evening offering) and Usha Arghya (morning offering) to local sunset and sunrise schedules.

DUBAI

Chhath Puja's songs were heard in Dubai too. Instagram users shared videos of the celebration. According to Amit, a resident of Madhubani, who works in Dubai, devotees traditionally gather at Dubai's public beaches—most notably Al Mamzar Beach and Jumeirah Beach—to stand in the shallow waters and offer Arghya. Classic songs by late legendary singer Sharda Sinha—such as "Kelwa Ke Paat Par" and "Uga Ho Suraj Dev"—echo across the shoreline.