As thousands of devotees gathered along the Yamuna to offer prayers to the setting sun on Sunday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the Chhath ghat at Sonia Vihar, joined the celebrations and reviewed arrangements at several riverbank locations. The Chief Minister offered prayers to the setting sun and sought happiness, prosperity, and good health for Delhi residents.
She also inspected the ghats by boat, interacted with devotees and said the Delhi Government was committed to ensuring that people from Bihar and the Purvanchal region could celebrate their festival in the capital with proper facilities and a sense of belonging.
A large number of devotees had gathered at the ghats for the evening rituals. Traditional clothes, devotional songs, lamps and bamboo baskets carrying offerings added to the festive atmosphere along the river.
During her boat inspection, the CM visited different ghats, greeted devotees and extended her wishes to them on the occasion. She said worshipping the setting and rising sun reflected gratitude towards nature and was an important part of the festival’s cultural traditions.
Describing Chhath as more than a religious observance, the CM said it represented discipline, cleanliness, dedication and social harmony. The festival brought families and communities together and encouraged people to respect nature and the environment, she said.
The CM said Delhi belonged to people from all parts of the country and the Purvanchal community had contributed significantly to the city’s growth through its hard work. The Government, she said, wanted people from the community to feel at home in the capital and have access to adequate facilities while observing their festivals.
She said the Government was working to provide better-equipped ghats, clean surroundings and necessary arrangements for devotees performing the rituals. The arrangements along the Yamuna and the development of the Chhath ghat along the Munak Canal in north Delhi were among the steps taken in this direction.
The Munak Canal project, she said, addressed the Purvanchal community’s long-standing demand for better facilities. The Government was also working to make organised ghats available in different parts of Delhi so that devotees would not have to travel long distances to perform their prayers.
The Chief Minister also referred to the special bus services arranged between Delhi and Bihar for the festival. She said many people wished to return to their home states during Chhath to celebrate with their families. The additional services were intended to make their journeys more convenient and help them return to Delhi without difficulty.
The Government wanted people celebrating the festival in Delhi to experience the warmth of their homes and cultural traditions, while also ensuring that those travelling to Bihar could do so comfortably, she said.