Devotees celebrate Chhath Puja at ‘ghats' amid tougher norms

Devotees across Delhi celebrated Chhath Puja on Thursday by submerging themselves in artificial "ghats", as access to the river's natural banks was barricaded a day after the Delhi high court refused to lift a 2021 ban imposed on immersions in the polluted river.

- Snehil Sinha

Chhath Puja, a four-day celebration observed by people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, involves the offering of "arghya" by devotees to the sun in knee-deep water on a designated day, which this year is November 7 and 8.

In 2021, the Delhi high court prohibited immersion in the Yamuna due to severe water pollution, and the court reinforced it again this year on Wednesday, with stricter implementation.

Roads and lanes leading to ghats were blocked, while officials were deployed to ensure that people were directed to the artificial ghats created nearby, officials familiar with the plan said. The Entry near major ghats along the Yamuna banks near Kalindi Kunj, ITO, Okhla and Nigam Bodh has been restricted since Wednesday.