800 ghats set up in Delhi for Chhath Puja: Deputy CM Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Monday announced that the Delhi government, on the directions of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, has set up at least 800 ghats across the national capital for devotees to perform Chhath Puja rituals.

Addressing a digital press briefing, Sisodia said the Delhi government has made several arrangements such as putting up tents, installing lights and making drinking water arrangement on the ghats. “Before 2015, Chhath Puja was organised only at 80-90 ghats, only a select few from BJP-Congress could use these ghats. Once the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in Delhi, the number of ghats were increased exponentially because the AAP cares for the Purvanchali population of the city. This time, despite Covid-19, the Delhi government has made grand arrangements for Chhath Puja at more than 800 ghats,” he said.

Appealing to the people to practice caution, Sisodia said Covid-19 cases have gone down but the pandemic is not yet over. “It is a humble request to all the devotees to take precaution to protect the community from the virus. Following the personal efforts of Kejriwal, the lieutenant governor (LG) was compelled to give permission to organise Chhath Puja in public. Kejriwal had written a letter to the LG on October 14, demanding permission to organise Chhath Puja,” he said.

On September 30, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) banned Chhath Puja celebrations in public, even as it allowed Durga Puja and Dussehra with restrictions. This led to protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sisodia wrote to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on October 12, urging the Centre to issue guidelines for the Chhath festival as soon as possible following consultation with health experts.He wrote that Chhath is celebrated especially by “people from Purvanchal” with “deep faith and sacrifice.” “It is also celebrated very dedicatedly in Delhi every year. This year too Purvanchali people are eagerly awaiting celebrations of Chhath with their families and dear ones,” he added.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also wrote to the LG, who is the DDMA chairperson, to allow members of the Purvanchali community to celebrate Chhath with Covid protocols.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on October 28 allowed the celebration of Chhath Puja in public at designated places with Covid-19 protocols in place. It directed, however, that celebrations should not be held along the river banks.

In the last decade, Chhath has become one of the major festivals in Delhi with the Purvanchalis -- people belonging to areas known as the Purvanchal -- accounting for over one-third of Delhi’s population of around 20 million, according to government estimates and migration data from Census 2011.

Earlier on November 5, the Delhi government declared November 10 as a public holiday this year on the account of Chhath Puja.

The festival began Monday with the ‘Nahai Khai’ ritual and will conclude on November 11 with devotees performing ‘Usha Arghya’ (prayers to the rising sun). The main celebration is on November 10 when devotees will offer ‘argha’ to Sun god.