The Delhi High Court has refused permission for Chhath Puja to be held at Chintoo Park in Naraina village, ruling that longstanding practice cannot by itself justify using a public green area for religious festivities. The decision affects a request to hold rituals at the park on November 15 and 16, while alternative arrangements have been made at Munak Canal.
Justice Jasmeet Singh dismissed a plea filed by Lalit Anand, who had sought permission to use about 1,000 square metres of Chintoo Park for Sandhya Arghya on the evening of November 15 and Usha Arghya in the early morning of November 16. The plea requested the Delhi Development Authority to allow temporary booking of the park on payment of applicable charges and sought no-objection certificates from the relevant government agencies.
Anand told the court that Chhath Puja had been organised at the location for the past 23 years. He also relied on a document listing Chintoo Park as one of the venues for the religious observance and undertook to restore the park to its original condition after the event.
The court rejected that reasoning, holding that the history of the celebrations, the limited area requested and the temporary nature of the use could not, by themselves, justify permitting a religious event in a green area. The judge observed that the park is currently being maintained as a green area for the benefit of the public at large.
The ruling also addressed the relationship between administrative arrangements and judicial directions. The court held that the document identifying Chintoo Park as a venue could not override directions issued on August 19, 2026. It reiterated that an administrative decision by the executive or any other body cannot nullify a judicial order, and that government agencies cannot rely on administrative arrangements to bypass court directions.
The decision places the protection and designated use of public green spaces at the centre of the dispute. Chintoo Park is being maintained as a public green area, and the court found no justification for allowing its temporary use when another venue was available. The ruling does not permit the requested event at the Naraina park for the dates specified in the plea.
The Delhi government has made alternative arrangements for Chhath Puja at Munak Canal. The court cited the availability of that alternative while dismissing the request for Chintoo Park. The immediate arrangements for the celebrations will therefore proceed at the alternative venue rather than the public park in Naraina village.
