With both Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court refusing to relax curbs on offering Chhath prayers at Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar — two water bodies considered the ling of Kolkata — Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday appealed to the devotees to offer their prayers at alternative sites and not the protected lakes kept out of bounds by the law courts.
Making a televised appeal to the devotees Banerjee asked them to “Please follow the court directives and offer your prayers at alternative sites.” Like the people followed the court orders during Durga Puja and Kali Puja by not visiting the pandals “the devotees of Chhath Puja are also requested to go to other ponds and lakes,” Banerjee said.
State Chief Secretary Alapan Banerjee too appealed to the people saying that 1,300 artificial water tanks had been constructed by the State Government for offering the Puja. “The Chief Minister has also requested the people to offer their prayers from their respective homes or the nearby ponds or the water tanks constructed by the Government but please follow the Court order and stay away from Rabindra Sarovar and Subhas Sarovar.”