Noida: Hundreds of devotees on Saturday evening flocked to Noida Stadium, where an artificial pond was created for the for the annual Chhath Puja. The programme was organised by Pravasi Mahasangh in Noida.
Suresh Tiwari, general secretary, Pravasi Mahasangh, said the organisation has worked hard to organise this event.
“We have been organising Chhath Puja at the Noida Stadium for the last 11 years. The Noida authority has developed the 140-foot long and 60-foot wide and 2.5-foot deep artificial pond at the stadium. They have made all arrangements of lights and water, too. We expect around 10,000 people on Saturday night and Sunday morning,” he said.
There was also a cultural programme in the evening at the stadium. N K Rai, senior vice-present of Mahasangh, said devotees started visiting the stadium from 4pm.
“A number of people visited the artificial pond and performed their puja. The programme ended around 7pm, after the sunset. On Sunday morning, the devotees will again visit from 4am onwards to worship the rising sun. The programme will end around 7am,” he said.
The four-day festival started Thursday and culminates Sunday with devotees worshipping the setting and rising sun on the last two days. Tiwari said normally, people take a dip in river Ganga or Yamuna on Chhath Puja.
{{/usCountry}}The four-day festival started Thursday and culminates Sunday with devotees worshipping the setting and rising sun on the last two days. Tiwari said normally, people take a dip in river Ganga or Yamuna on Chhath Puja.
{{/usCountry}}“The Yamuna flow by our neighbhourhood. But it is not clean nor safe to take a dip. Some of the devotees need to travel a few kilometres to reach the Yamuna, and this results in traffic congestion. Hence, most people prefer to celebrate Chhath puja t the Noida stadium,” he said.
Anil Kumar Jha, superintendent of police (traffic), Gautam Budh Nagar, said there was no traffic diversion on the occasion.
“We have deployed police personnel around Noida stadium and also at Kalindi Kunj, near the Yamuna, where devotees perform Chhath Puja. The traffic remained smooth during the programme,” he said.
Similar puja were also organised in Noida Extension, Sector 71, Sector 82, the Yamuna near Kalindi Kunj and other places. An artificial pond has also been developed in Techzone 4 in Greater Noida to facilitate people living in neighbouring high-rises.