Festivities of Chhath Puja are in full swing across many parts of India. Chhath is considered one of the most sacred and ancient Hindu festivals for people coming from India’s ‘Purvanchal’ region, mainly Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Chhath is a four-day-long festival, dedicated to the sun god Surya Dev and goddess Shashthi Devi and is celebrated on the sixth day of the lunar month after Diwali. As the sun is the source of life and energy for Earth, devotees seek blessings from the Sun God on this holy day for the well-being and prosperity of their families.
The four-day ceremonies include holy bathing, fasting and water abstinence, standing in the water to offer prasad and araghya to the rising and setting sun which will attract lakhs of people. The festivities involve rituals wherein worshippers perform odes to the Sun god, generally at riverbanks or a pond.
Devotees consume three common food items – rice, chana dal, and bottle gourd – on “nahay-khay” on day one, before starting the 36-hour fast.
Special Puja Ghats In Delhi NCR
With the national capital being home to a large number of people from the ‘Purvanchal’ region, the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are leaving no stone unturned in the preparations for the final day festivities.
The Delhi government has decided to set up over 1,000 Chhath ghats across the city so that devotees don’t have to travel far from their homes. The government is also ensuring adequate lighting arrangements around ghats is in place and government has released Rs 40,000 per ward for this purpose.
Streetlights have also been added along the approach roads to Chhath Ghats.
As part of the preparations, a special cleaning drive has been initiated in parks, and specific efforts have been made to maintain cleanliness around the ghats.
Parking facilities have also been arranged to prevent chaos for devotees, and fogging has been carried out around Chhath Ghats to control mosquito-related issues.
Special arrangements have also been made in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida and Noida and Ghaziabad, where over 50 temporary ghats are being set up for the Chhath festival
In Noida, a ghat, measuring 150ft by 60ft, is being built at a stadium where over 2.5 lakh people are expected to gather. In Ghaziabad, banks of the Hindon river have also been cleaned, where nearly 5 lakh devotees expected to visit for festivities.
Elaborate Traffic Curbs In Place
Meanwhile, Delhi police has also released an advisory in view of the expected traffic congestion on the last day of the festivities. Police said appropriate diversions will be made by the traffic police based on ground requirements on November 19 and 20.
“Commuters are advised to avoid the roads adjoining the Chhath Puja sites including, the stretch of Outer Ring Road, Old Wazirabad Bridge to ITO, Vikas Marg, Pushta Road (Khajoori/Shastri Park), Kalindi Kunj Bridge, GTK Road, Rohtak Road, Pankha Road, Najafgarh Road, MB Road, Maa Anandmai Marg, etc,” it said.
Traffic restrictions have been put in place in Noida and Ghaziabad to manage the expected rush.
Dry Day On Chhath In Delhi
Delhi Excise Commissioner has issued an order declaring Sunday (November 19) as a ‘Dry Day’ in the capital city, in light of the upcoming Chhath Puja celebration. However, the news came has a mild disappointment for many cricket fans, who were hoping to enjoy the India-Australia World Cup final on Sunday with booze.
Seema Haider and Bollywood’s Chhath Connection
Pakistan national Seema Haider, who illegally entered India to stay with her Indian husband, is also celebrating Chhath Puja. According to a report by Aaj Tak, Seema has said that she will celebrate Chhath with all rituals.
Chhath Puja is also popular among celebrities in Hindi film industry, with Purvanchal being an important part of Hindi heartland.
Last year, bollywood actors, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Pankaj Tripathi, Sonu Sood and Siddhant Chaturvedi among others have extended their greetings on the occasion of Chhath Puja.
Nitish Govt Cancels Teachers’ Holidays
In a controversial move, the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar has cancelled the leaves of teachers and headmasters in the government-run schools ahead of the Chhath Puja celebrations. As per the order issued by Additional Chief Secretary CS KK Pathak, leaves of teachers in all government school have been cancelled until November 21.
The government’s move aimed to ensure the smooth functioning of educational institutions, has triggered resentment within the teaching community, according to a report by Zee News.
Crocodile spotted on River Bank In Bihar
A giant crocodile was reportedly spotted near Dumaria Ghat on the banks of Gandak river in Bihar’s Gopalganj, triggering panic among Chhath devotees. A video of the said incident went viral on social media prompting authorities to issue directives urging devotees to exercise caution and stay vigilant when approaching the river.
BMC’s Chhath Pooja Arrangements In Mumbai
The four-day long Chhath Pooja festival will be celebrated in at least 82 locations in Mumbai for which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is making elaborate preparations.
The BMC has made plans to clean up and fumigate the proposed 82 venues at least two days in advance, install floodlights and make other arrangements at all locations, including some of the beaches dotting the shores and lakes in the city.
Wherever required, the BMC will set up artificial ponds for the festival poojas, and keep ready ambulances with medical services to tackle any emergencies.
Changing rooms, drinking water facilities, portable toilets, tables for the pooja ceremonies shall also be arranged by the civic authorities as necessary for all the locations.
Comments
0 comment