Delhi: Haze fails to eclipse enthusiasm, Chhath devotees throng ghats

NEW DELHI: On Saturday evening, the banks of Yamuna were swarming with thousands of devotees and their family members. Baskets full of puja material were placed on the ghats and people were seen rushing to offer prayers to the setting sun on the third day of the Chhath festival.
Despite adverse air quality conditions, Delhi celebrated the festival devoted to ‘Sun God’ with religious fervour at more than 1,000 ghats constructed across the capital.
Ram Kishore, who was barefoot, was hurriedly moving towards ITO chhath ghat with a basket placed on his head. “You have to reach early to reserve the spot,” he remarked as his dressed-up wife followed him. On the adjacent Vikas Marg, there was a minor traffic jam.
Just above the welcome gate, billboards of smiling politicians, including chief minister, Prime Minister and many hopeful candidates, were placed prominently. Inside the decked-up ghats, fasting women were standing knee-deep in water to offer prayers to the setting sun.
Sun, however, was not visible due to thick haze and smog that has engulfed the city from the last three days. “It is a matter of faith. Quality of water and pollution can’t curb our devotion,” said Vijaita Kumari, an MBA student, who was accompanying her family.
Chhath celebrations will come to an end on Sunday morning with devotees offering prayers to the rising sun. The four-day-long auspicious festival is celebrated across UP, Bihar and Jharkhand. With more than 40 lakh poorvanchalis constituting the population of the capital, the scale of celebrations has grown manifold in the last one decade.
Delhi government also declared it to be a public holiday—a practice followed since 2014. The city administration, during this year’s celebrations, has set up more than 1,100 ghats.
CM Arvind Kejriwal visited Burari ghat to participate in the festivities. “Five years ago, there used to be only 73 ghats for celebrating Chhath mahaparv. We have increased the number to over 1,200 big and small ghats,” Kejriwal said.
Out of total 1,108 ghats constructed in Delhi this year, around 266 were set up in south-west district, while in west Delhi, 184 ghats were constructed by the government. In south district, arrangements of 83 ghats were made. Around 30 ghats had been set up along the Yamuna river.
While Delhi government had issued an advisory to Chhath puja committees to ensure cracker and plastic-free festival at all the 1,108 ghats set up by the city administration, many people could be seen openly flouting the norms.
At Chhath celebrations near Boat Club and water tanks along Rajpath, open firecracker burning was witnessed by TOI. Policemen and civil volunteers remained mute spectator to it. The loudspeakers carried by the families boomed Bhojpuri folk songs, and the festivities continued till about 5.30 pm. With hints of rain, many started to leave soon after the prayers were offered, only to return the next morning to bow before the rising sun.