Mind-blowing Chhath festival stats: 10 crore celebrants, Rs 50,000 crore business boom!

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Confederation of All India Traders (CAT) has released trade figures for the four-day Chhath festival, celebrated with faith and devotion across the country every year. According to a latest CAT report, Chhath Puja was celebrated by more than 100 million people across the country, generating trade worth over 50 thousand crore rupees.

Of this, the capital Delhi alone accounted for approximately ₹8,000 crore in trade. Furthermore, Bihar saw approximately ₹15,000 crore in trade and Jharkhand approximately ₹5,000 crore in trade.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, especially the Purvanchal region, remain the main centers for Chhath Puja. These states and regions see the largest crowds for the festival and the highest demand for ghats and puja materials.

"Due to the large population from the eastern region, there was a tremendous boom in business related to this festival in Delhi and the NCR region. The Delhi government built 1,500 ghats and spent a huge amount on puja materials, temporary structures, security and sanitation arrangements," he said.

Khandelwal said the economic impact of Chhath Puja has now spread beyond its traditional areas to metro cities and emerging states, where migrant communities have created strong demand locally.

He explained that items sold during this special festival included agricultural products such as bananas, sugarcane, coconuts, seasonal fruits, rice, and grains; prasad and sweets such as thekua, kheer, laddus, and jaggery products; puja items such as baskets, earthen lamps, leaf plates, flowers, and earthen pots. Furthermore, festival-related services such as ghat construction, lighting, cleaning, boat service, and security arrangements also generated significant business.

CAIT Secretary General Khandelwal said that PM Modi's Swadeshi appeal was enthusiastically embraced by trade bodies and the public. "Swadeshi Chhath" campaigns were launched across the country to promote traditional thekua makers, clay artisans, bamboo and banana leaf basket makers, and jaggery makers. This initiative resulted in robust sales of local handicrafts and indigenous products.