Patna: Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) has introduced a novel package for national and foreign tourists for Mahaparv Chhath, which starts from the first day of ‘Nahay-khay’ (having food after bathing).
“The package is for four days till morning ‘arghya’ (offering holy water and milk to the Sun god). The tourists will be taken on a tour via cruises to various Ganga ghats where the Chhath rituals are observed,” said public relations officer of the department, Ravishankar Upadhyaya. They will also be taken to various tourist spots and religious places of the capital following the morning ‘arghaya’.
“For the first time that BSTDC has come up with a package for Chhath, under which the visitors will get acquainted with the state’s tradition and most famous festival, venerating Sun god,” said tourism minister Nitish Mishra, adding comfortable arrangements have been made for the tourists in luxury and deluxe hotels. “They would be taken to various tourist spots besides making them witness the four-day ritual of the festival.”
Upadhyaya said on Fridaytourist operators dealing in foreign travellers, especially from south-east Asian countries and Japan, have been enquiring about the packages and that they are expecting good number of international tourists on the occasion.
“Among the national tourists, people from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana, have also shown enthusiasm in the scheme, besides receiving maximum enquiries from Delhi and UP’s Varanasi,” he said.
Upadhyaya added that many tourists might prolong their stay in the state to visit the Sonepur fair that would begin from November 15.