Manoj Kumar Oja/Tinsukia (Assam)

It was a Thursday evening. The Awaz-The Voice correspondent visited the residence of Mohammad Samir Ali. The lights on his ornately decorated front gate gave a clue that the Ali family celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, along with the Hindus of the Tinsukia district in southern Assam. The sound of firecrackers echoed in their yard, and the clay candles lit up the surroundings.

'Do you also celebrate Chhat Puja?' this reporter asked Samir Ali, rather bluntly.

"Yes. We celebrate Chhat Puja. Why not! Everything is the same. Our mother used to celebrate Chhat Puja There is no difference. It should be experienced with the purity of heart. I respect all ways of reaching God Almighty through Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, or other religions." Samir Ali's wife Shakina Khatun replied.

"Non-vegetarian food is completely forbidden in our family throughout the month. Even our pet dog Tom and pet cat Pussy are now eating vegetarian food. On Sunday we will go to the banks of the Brahmaputra River to worship the sun god.”

A local trader selling essentials for Chhat in Tinsukia market

Chhat Puja is mainly a religious festival of faith and human beings’ gratitude to mother Nature – the Sun, as a source of all energy and life on the planet in this case. It doesn’t require a priest to perform rituals or recite the Vedic mantras.

This festival has broken social barriers of caste and religion, gender, language, and ethnicity. Muslims in India have been celebrating the festival of thanksgiving to the Sun God since the Mughals ruled parts of India.

"Those who live in villages or cities in India know how Hindus and Muslims live together like a happy family in one house. Hindus participate in Taziya. They seek the advice of Muslim scholars in times of crisis Yes, Indian Muslims are as enthusiastic as all Hindus on Diwali and Chhat. And you know, generation after generation, this tradition has been going on. Only few people are trying to create division in society for their political ambitions. But their ill will never be fulfilled," explained Samir Ali.

Samir Ali celerating Chhat with his family

Chhat Puja is mainly celebrated in the northeastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. But in the last 5 decades, it has become one of the most popular festivals in Assam In Assam, the state government also gives one-day leave to employees on the occasion of Shat Puja.

It is celebrated all over the world wherever Indians go on the banks of rivers. Muslim-majority countries also allow the celebration of Hindu festivals.

Not only are millions of Muslims participating in Shat Puja, but many people bring puja items like sweet lemons, raw garlic, betel nut, etc. from rural areas of eastern Arunachal Pradesh and southern Assam to the cities. and sell them at very cheap rates, so that all devotees, even poor persons, can perform the puja without any financial hindrance.

Abdul Qadir sells Puja items for Chhat in the Tinsukia market. "I am blessing everyone. I am not here for commerce, but to help the Chhat Puja devotees. I provide them with necessary puja items at nominal prices."

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Awaz-the Voice reached out to hundreds of such Muslims from Tinsukia to Silchar, and from Karbi Anglong to Nalbari and found that most of them are either celebrating Chhat Puja or helping the devotees in other ways