Chhath devotees here are vertically divided over the issue of Chhath puja at home or Chhath puja at ghat.
A government guideline over Chhath puja in the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic which reads no such Chhath puja ‘shall be permitted’ at any public pond, lake, dam, reservoir etc has stirred a fierce debate and aggressive division both.
Bimal Poddar of Marwari Yuva Manch here in Daltonganj said it is a tough time for everyone in this pandemic and it gets further tense when this kind of tussle between Faith and Fear arises.
Poddar said he would wait for any tweaking of this guideline which is at present a big no to ghat for performing Chhath puja. PNS
Amitabh Mishra is a well known medical shop owner here who is determined to perform his Chhath puja at ghat only and not at home.
He said, “I have been performing this puja since over a decade at Pampoo Kal ghat and there is going to be no change of my venue this Chhath puja.”
Shalini Singhaniya has taken her decision. She will perform her Chhath puja at her roof top. She said she has a good roof top where her family will pitch tent and she can do this puja very comfortably here.
Sources said there are many who reach ghat for this puja not walking down but on belly and such people will find it too hard to settle for anything else said Gajendra a resident of Daltonganj.
He said these people have some ‘mannat’ (read vows) which they are religiously to fulfill under every circumstance.