VARANASI, Oct. 28 -- Amid tight security arrangements and vigilant presence of NDRF personnel along the Ganga, thousands of devotees gathered at Varanasi's ghats on Monday evening to offer arghya (water) to the setting sun, a key ritual of the Chhath festival.

Clad in traditional attire, devotees carrying bamboo baskets filled with fruits, and homemade delicacies like thekua, malpua, and laddus, with many holding sugarcanes, started gathering at the ghats from early afternoon. As the sun began to set, the ghats filled with devotees, and the sound of Chhath songs from loudspeakers and mobile phones created an atmosphere of faith and festivity.

The women observed fast to perform Kharna pooja, which holds special significance in the four-d...