When Joy Turns to Sorrow: A Chhath Puja Tragedy in Jharkhand

The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that only a grand festival like Chhath Puja can bring. Families across Jharkhand, just like everywhere else, were bustling, preparing for days of devotion, fasting, and joyous celebration. And then, a shadow fell. In the Garhwa district, what began as simple preparations near a river tragically ended in heartbreak, stealing two young lives and casting a pall over the upcoming festivities.

You see, for many, the days leading up to Chhath Puja are almost as sacred as the festival itself. It’s a time for cleaning, for purifying, for readying the ghats where devotees will soon offer prayers to the Sun God. And that often means a trip to the local river or pond. It’s a ritual, a tradition, a part of the spiritual journey. But this time, for two families, that journey veered into unimaginable grief.

Seven-year-old Kajal Kumari and six-year-old Aditya Kumar, barely out of toddlerhood, had gone to bathe in a river not far from their homes in the Pagar village area. They were there with relatives, perhaps just splashing around, maybe even helping in their own small, innocent way with the preparations for the revered rituals. Honestly, who would have thought that such an everyday act, so steeped in tradition, could turn so utterly devastating?

What exactly happened in those critical moments? The river, usually a source of life and cleansing, became a place of despair. Despite the presence of relatives, who, you can imagine, must have tried everything in their power, the two children were suddenly lost to the currents. A frantic search, a desperate scramble—it all unfolded, yet it wasn’t enough. Their small bodies were swallowed by the water, leaving behind a void that no festival, however grand, can ever fill.

Local villagers, alongside the police, rallied together, eventually managing to retrieve the children's bodies. The sight, one can only imagine, must have been utterly gut-wrenching. Subsequently, as is protocol in such deeply sorrowful events, the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination. The police, undoubtedly, are investigating every detail, trying to piece together the exact sequence of events that led to such a profound and preventable loss.

Chhath Puja, with its profound spiritual significance, demands that devotees purify themselves in sacred waters before offering their prayers. It’s a beautiful tradition, truly. But this year, for the Pagar village, the sacred waters carried not just devotion, but also the unspeakable weight of a double tragedy. It serves, perhaps, as a stark, painful reminder of the thin line between everyday life and unforeseen sorrow, especially when children are involved.