WHEN THE SUN GOD HIDES IN A HAZE AND CLIMATE CALLS

The sun god failed to keep a date with devotees in Delhi on Tuesday. Thick smog played spoilsport on Chhath, the festival of sun worship.

- SHASHI SHEKHAR

Thousands of women, observing a 36-hour fast without even a sip of water, were disappointed. Sun rays couldn't penetrate the toxic haze on the ghats of Yamuna. Delhi air hovered at “very poor”, and the deterioration that began on Diwali persisted.

I salute human flexibility in Indian traditions. People simply faced the direction of the setting and rising sun, and offered water and tributes to the deity.

For the uninitiated, Chhath isa unique expression of India’s religious and spiritual traditions that has for centuries seamlessly blended social cohesion and natural beauty. The worship offerings are sourced from native crops, social divide dissolves and people pray in unison for the well-being of all.

However, prayers aren’t enough. We humans aren’t only guilty of tearing asunder our social harmony but also brutalising the natural bounty so generously offered to us.

Chhath in Delhi is an example in the larger unfolding story.