Thousands of devotees gathered at Chhath ghats across Delhi on Sunday evening to offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting Sun, with major gatherings reported at Sonia Vihar and ITO as the Capital witnessed the principal evening ritual of the four-day festival. Carrying baskets of fruits, flowers and traditional offerings, families assembled along riverbanks and specially prepared water bodies, while fasting devotees performed prayers seeking the well-being and prosperity of their families.
The celebrations were particularly significant at Sonia Vihar, where Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined devotees for the evening prayers. Accompanied by Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, she reached the ghat and travelled towards the worshippers on a boat. Tiwari also sang traditional Chhath songs, adding to the festive atmosphere. The Chief Minister offered Arghya to the setting Sun and greeted devotees gathered along the riverbank.
At ITO’s Hathi Ghat, the gathering was also substantial. Media reports estimated that approximately one lakh people assembled at the location to offer prayers to the setting Sun. More than 1,400 ghats were arranged across Delhi this year, allowing devotees to perform the rituals closer to their residential areas.
The evening ritual saw women observing the rigorous Chhath fast, accompanied by family members carrying soops and baskets containing fruits, flowers and other offerings. Several devotees also undertook the traditional practice of reaching the ghats through Dandvat, repeatedly prostrating themselves along the route as an expression of devotion.
The celebrations extended beyond the prominent Yamuna-side locations. The Government had identified 1,482 ghats across 996 locations, including temporary water bodies and established worship sites. The arrangements covered several neighbourhoods in East, Northeast, North and South Delhi, where local communities organise Chhath celebrations every year.
One of the major additions this year was the nearly 11-km-long Chhath ghat developed along the Munak Canal in North Delhi, around the Shalimar Bagh and Singalpur area. The dedicated stretch was developed with permanent steps, paved approach roads, changing rooms, toilets, lighting and other facilities. CCTV cameras were also installed along the stretch.
The development aimed to provide an alternative to overcrowded riverbank locations and expand access to organised worship spaces for residents of North Delhi. However, independently verified crowd estimates and detailed accounts of Sunday’s evening turnout at the Munak Canal stretch were not available at the time of filing this report.
The administration had put security and traffic arrangements in place ahead of the principal rituals. More than 5,000 police personnel were expected to be deployed across the Capital on November 15 and 16, with heightened security in East, Northeast and Shahdara districts. Foot patrols, PCR vehicles and motorcycle patrols were also planned around major gathering points.
Traffic restrictions came into effect from 2 pm on Sunday and are scheduled to remain in place until 8 am on Monday. Roads leading to and adjoining Ram Ghat, Soor Ghat, Bajrangi Ghat, Vasudev Ghat and Hathi Ghat were among the stretches identified for traffic regulation.
Bundh Road, Wazirabad Road, Vikas Marg, and roads around the IP Estate area were also expected to face traffic restrictions, depending on devotee movement.
The arrangements included CCTV surveillance at designated model ghats, with cameras connected to a central control room to monitor activities and facilitate emergency responses. Drinking water, sanitation, lighting, medical assistance and changing facilities were among the amenities announced for devotees.
However, the celebrations also brought the Capital’s continuing Yamuna pollution problem into focus. While thousands gathered to offer prayers along the river, concerns remained over water quality in stretches receiving substantial quantities of untreated or inadequately treated sewage.
The issue had also triggered political criticism ahead of the festival. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav, after visiting Soor Ghat in Wazirabad, alleged that devotees faced inadequate arrangements, particularly the lack of proper changing facilities. He also raised concerns over a drain discharging into the river near the ghat. These allegations could not be independently verified through a subsequent official inspection report.
For Delhi’s large population originating from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, Chhath remains an important expression of cultural identity and family tradition. The festival has increasingly become a major community celebration in the Capital, with neighbourhood organisations and local committees helping establish worship spaces closer to residential colonies.
Sunday’s Sandhya Arghya marked the penultimate stage of the celebrations. The four-day festival, which began on November 13 with Nahay-Khay, will conclude on Monday morning, November 16, when devotees offer Usha Arghya to the rising Sun before breaking their fast.
The large gatherings at the Capital’s ghats once again demonstrated the scale of Chhath’s presence in Delhi.