CM declares govt holiday for Delhi on Chhath Puja

Extending her greetings to devotees, Gupta said Chhath is a festival that celebrates faith, devotion and the harmony between humans and nature

New Delhi

The chief minister said the Delhi government has made elaborate arrangements to ensure cleanliness, safety and essential facilities at over 1,300 Chhath ghats across the Capital. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday declared October 27 (Monday), the day of Chhath Puja, a government holiday in Delhi. She said the decision was taken to declare the third day of the four-day event a holiday, as it is the most significant day of festivity, when devotees offer prayers to the sun.

Extending her greetings to devotees, Gupta said Chhath is a festival that celebrates faith, devotion and the harmony between humans and nature.

“Through the worship of the sun and Chhathi Maiya, Chhath conveys a message of purity, environmental protection and gratitude towards nature,” she said.

The chief minister said the Delhi government has made elaborate arrangements to ensure cleanliness, safety and essential facilities at over 1,300 Chhath ghats across the Capital. “Every effort is being made so that devotees can perform rituals peacefully and comfortably,” she said.

Gupta, accompanied by MLA Sandeep Sahrawat and members of the Chhath Puja Committee, on Friday inspected preparations at the Pochanpur Chhath Ghat in Dwarka Sector 23B.

The CM said that 17 model Chhath ghats were being developed along the Yamuna banks this year. The Yamuna ghats, she added, will feature improved facilities, such as tents, lighting, toilets, drinking water and security arrangements.

“By combining devotion with convenience, Delhi will appear truly Chhathmaye this year,” Gupta said, noting that this is the first time the festival is being organised on such a large scale by the government.

During the inspection, Gupta interacted with residents and members of local committees, and also joined in painting and decorating parts of the ghat, saying that collective participation by citizens and officials transforms the festival into a celebration of cultural unity.

Highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to clean the Yamuna, Gupta said that work has been progressing at a “war-footing” for the past eight months, with visible improvements in water quality. She credited interstate coordination with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and thanked Union home minister Amit Shah for his support in the initiative.

Earlier in the day, the CM also inaugurated a newly built Chhath ghat and other development projects worth ₹30 crore in Laxmi Nagar. She lauded the Purvanchal community for their contribution to Delhi’s growth, calling them the backbone of the city.