NEW DELHI, Nov 7 : Lakhs of devotees gathered across hundreds of ghats in Delhi on Thursday to celebrate the third day of Chhath Puja, offering the ‘Sandhya Arghya’ to the setting sun.
The Chhath rituals include offering milk, water, ‘thekua’ (a cookie made of wheat flour, sugar and ghee) and five types of seasonal fruits, with sugarcane being mandatory as devotees paid homage to the Sun God.
Leaders cutting across party lines joined the festival, celebrated mainly by the Delhi’s Purvanchali community, which includes many residents from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi attended the puja at Balmukund Khand in Giri Nagar, extending her wishes to the devotees.
“Every year, the Delhi government makes sure that people from Purvanchal feel at home in Delhi and can celebrate Chhath with full rituals,” Atishi said.
AAP national convenor and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal offered puja at a ghat in Kidwai Nagar. He said the government set up puja ghats at 1,800 locations this year in the city, a significant increase from fewer than 250 sites in 2015.
BJP leaders also participated in the festival. New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj performed ‘Sandhya Arghya’ at Satpula DDA Park near Chirag Delhi, and expressed hope that the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya continue to bless people.
BJP MP from Delhi North-East Manoj Tiwari celebrated Chhath at his residence. He regretted restrictions on performing ‘arghya’ in the Yamuna due to environmental concerns, citing the role of “some people in courts and powerful positions” in prohibiting Chhath rituals at the riverbank.
“Due to the stubbornness of some people, we could not offer ‘arghya’ in Yamuna, but Chhath celebrations will not stop despite opposition,” he said.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ruled against holding Chhath rituals along the banks of the Yamuna, citing the river’s high pollution levels and concerns for devotees’ health due to toxic froth and pollutants.
Nonetheless, devotees gathered at the Yamuna Ghat in Kalindi Kunj, disregarding pollution and health concerns.
Celebrating the festival near Yamuna Bank, Prabhat Tripathi from Delhi Pradesh Chhath Puja Samiti told PTI that following the order of the Delhi High Court, “we have barricaded the area so that no one goes to the river”.
“This is the western ITO ghat in Delhi where the festival is being celebrated. We have been organising the celebration in the area for the last 10 years. People from the Purvanchal area have gathered here. We have made several arrangements.
“An artificial ghat has been made that can be used by people for the puja, and we are continuously making announcements from the stage and urging people not to go to the river,” Tripathi added.
Sudhir Kumar, a supervisor in a private firm, said that covering the bank of Yamuna is a good idea in order to restrict people from going to the river. However, it gets difficult to even walk properly in the evening when thousands of devotees gather here, he said.
Devotees in Geeta Colony took to the streets, frustrated that some artificial ghats, prepared especially for Chhath Puja, remained dry and empty without water.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who also attended the celebrations, said, “The entire world is celebrating the festival of Chhath. Chhath Puja is not just a tradition but a part of India’s spiritual journey. On behalf of the government, we can only improve the facilities for our sisters who are observing fast on this festival.”
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, attended Chhath festival at the Suraj Parka in the Sector 18 area of Rohini and extended his best wishes to the devotees.
Gupta expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangements made by the Delhi government for devotees.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav joined the festivities at the ITO Ghat and assured the devotees that when the Congress comes to power, the Chhath ghats, established by the Congress government will be further enlarged with better facilities, taking into consideration the increasing population of Poorvanchalis here.
The four-day festival began on November 5 with ‘Nahay Khay,’ during which devotees cleanse their homes and prepare for the festivities with pure vegetarian meals, omitting garlic and onions.
On November 6, ‘Kharna’ marked the second day with a day-long fast and an evening meal made from jaggery and rice, which initiated a strict 36-hour fast during which those fasting don’t even take water.
The festival will conclude on November 8 with ‘Usha Arghya,’ where devotees offer their final prayers to the rising sun, seeking blessings for peace, health, and family protection.
Chhath Puja has grown in prominence in Delhi, especially as the Purvanchali community makes up an estimated 30-40 percent of the city’s electorate, a factor that holds significance with Assembly elections scheduled for February next year. (PTI)
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