Chhath Puja 2025 Weather Alert: IMD Warns of Cyclone Over Bay of Bengal, Rain May Disrupt Festivities

The sacred Hindu festival of Chhath Puja, which began on Saturday, October 25, with the first ritual known as Nahay Khay, faces a potential disruption from a weather system developing over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that a low-pressure area over the sea is rapidly intensifying and is likely to form into a cyclonic storm, possibly named 'Montha', by October 27.

The primary concern centres on the most critical ritual days: the Sandhya Arghya (Evening Offering) on October 27 and the Usha Arghya (Morning Offering) on October 28. These rituals require devotees to stand in water bodies, such as rivers and ponds, to offer prayers to the setting and rising Sun God (Surya Dev).

The system's track is forecasted to bring moderate to heavy rainfall, and in some coastal areas, very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, across parts of South Peninsular and East India. Specifically, states like Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha are on high alert. Squally winds with speeds of 40–50 kmph and gusts reaching 60 kmph are expected along the southern coast from October 27.

“There is a low-pressure system formed south of the Bay of Bengal. It is likely to form into a depression over the southeast and adjoining Bay of Bengal on October 25, further intensifying into a deep depression by October 26 and into a cyclonic storm by October 27," said IMD Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty, confirming that the system south of the Bay of Bengal is intensifying rapidly. 

While the core Chhath regions of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh may avoid a direct cyclonic hit, the outer bands of the system are predicted to bring significant rainfall and thunderstorms on October 27 and 28. This weather threatens to severely impact the elaborate arrangements and the smooth conduct of the community gatherings at riverbanks and ghats during the Chhath festival.

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