Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and ministers joined Chhath celebrations at multiple ghats on Sunday, inspected arrangements along the Yamuna and nearby sites, and promised better facilities for devotees, including improved ghats, cleaner surroundings and access to essential amenities.
Gupta participated in the rituals at Sonia Vihar, where she prayed to the setting sun and took a boat ride along the Yamuna to inspect Chhath ghats. She also met devotees gathered along the riverbanks and extended festive greetings.
The chief minister said Delhi belonged to people from every part of the country and recognised the contribution of the Purvanchali community to the capital’s growth. She said providing better facilities for members of the community while they celebrated their festivals was a commitment of her government.
Gupta also highlighted the development of a Chhath ghat along the Munak Canal, describing it as a step towards addressing a longstanding demand. She said the government was working to provide better ghats, clean surroundings and the facilities required by devotees. She described Chhath as a festival associated with faith, discipline, cleanliness, dedication and social harmony.
Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra inaugurated a Chhath ghat near Namo railway station and visited 16 ghats in east Delhi, including the site at Yamuna Bank, to extend greetings and review arrangements. South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri visited ghats in Sangam Vihar, Tughlakabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Kalkaji and Badarpur.
Health and transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh performed the evening rituals with his family at Kunwar Singh Nagar in Vikaspuri. Public Works Department minister Parvesh Verma attended celebrations at his residence, where his wife, Swati Verma, welcomed devotees. Verma said people observing the fast should be able to offer arghya with dignity and called access to suitable facilities a right rather than a favour.
Leaders from the opposition parties also visited festival sites. Aam Aadmi Party MLAs Sanjeev Jha and Anil Jha offered prayers to the setting sun, while Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav visited several ghats to review arrangements. Yadav alleged that facilities remained inadequate and accused the BJP government of prioritising publicity over amenities. The allegation was not independently assessed in the report.
Chhath is a major annual religious event in Delhi, where a sizeable Purvanchali population gathers at riverfront and temporary ghats to perform rituals. The government’s stated next steps are the development of better ghats, including the facility along the Munak Canal, and improvements to cleanliness and other arrangements at celebration sites.
