Kejriwal grants ₹25 crore for Chhath festivity at 1,100 spots

Chhath, the most popular festival for people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh (popularly known as Purvanchalis in Delhi), will be celebrated between October 30 and 31.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced grand Chhath Puja celebrations at 1,100 places for which the state government has allocated ₹25 crore.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal participates in community Chhath Puja celebrations at Kidwai Nagar in 2021. (HT Photo)

Chhath, the most popular festival for people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh (popularly known as Purvanchalis in Delhi), will be celebrated between October 30 and 31.

“In 2014, the Delhi government funded organisation of Chhath puja at 69 sites and spent ₹2.5 crore. In 2022 the Delhi government will provide ₹25 crore for Chhath puja at 1,100 places,” Kejriwal said at a press conference.

The chief minister, however, also had a word of caution for the devotees. He urged people to wear masks and observe all safety protocols while celebrating, saying Covid-19 was not over. “The intensity of the infection may have reduced but the infection is still there. Please follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and wear a mask. Fines might have gone but please follow the rules,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said special arrangements will be made at various places where locals organise community celebration of Chhath puja.

“Due to the pandemic restrictions over the last two years, the Delhi government could not take up large-scale preparations for community Chhath celebrations and a lot of people had to celebrate at home. However, since we have come to power, we have taken Chhath celebrations to a grand level in Delhi,” Kejriwal said.

Saying that Chhath was a “mere formality” for the state governments before the AAP assumed charge in Delhi, Kejriwal said that there were barely 69 sites where Chhath was celebrated in 2014. “The government back then spent a mere ₹2.5 crore [on the festivities]. But now, we will celebrate Chhath at a large scale across 1,100 sites. The Delhi government will bear all the cost of this celebration, and we have earmarked ₹25 crore for the purpose,” he added.

“Among our core responsibilities, we have prioritised safety and security of every citizen. To make this possible, we will take the help of Delhi Police and install CCTVs all around our Chhath ghats,” the chief minister said.

”Besides this, like usual, we will make arrangements for drinking water, sanitation, toilets, ambulances, first-aid, tents, furniture, sound systems, lighting, LED screens, among others. Even though Delhi enjoys a 24x7 power supply, we will arrange power backup at all sites to ensure there is not a single hiccup in the festivities due to any fault or error,” Kejriwal added.

Last week revenue minister Kailash Gahlot directed officials concerned to ensure smooth management of Chhath puja at various places across the capital. A meeting was held on Friday where AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, divisional commissioner and district magistrates participated reviewed the preparations.

In the last decade, Chhath has become one of the major festivals in Delhi with the Purvanchalis -- people belonging to areas known as the Purvanchal -- accounting for over one-third of Delhi’s population of around 20 million, according to government estimates and migration data from Census 2011.

In November last year, the Delhi government had declared a public holiday on account of Chhath Puja.

Chhath, celebrated after Diwali, involves the offering of “arghya” by fasting devotees to the Sun god in knee-deep water.