Chhath Puja will be allowed at Bally’s Rashbari ghat for one final year, the Bengal government told the Calcutta High Court, which capped attendance at 3,500 and ordered strict crowd-management measures at the private premises. The rituals are expected to shift to state ghats from next year, ending a 30-year-old tradition of local residents offering prayers to the setting and rising sun at the site.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalao Ghuge and Justice Om Narayan Rai allowed the puja this year after the owner agreed to Additional Advocate General Billwadal Bhattacharya’s appeal. The matter came before the court through a public interest litigation filed by local women seeking access to the private ghat, where they have performed Chhath rituals for years.
The court directed that the number of devotees entering the premises must not exceed 3,500. Volunteers’ names and phone numbers are to be listed, while police will manage the crowd and regulate entry. CCTV cameras and metal detectors will also be installed at the venue.
The court said police would be empowered to stop people from entering if an untoward incident occurred or if the crowd exceeded the permitted limit. It also held the listed volunteers and Chhath Puja committee members personally responsible for any incident involving property loss, injuries or death caused by a forceful attempt to enter beyond the approved count.
Police have been directed to install loudspeakers to communicate instructions to devotees. The court also prohibited the construction of pandals, except changing rooms for women devotees, within the private property. DJ systems and loud music have been banned on the premises.
The arrangements place access to the ghat within a tightly controlled capacity framework, with responsibility divided among the police, volunteers, committee members and the property owner. The restrictions are intended to manage entry, prevent overcrowding and control activity within the site during the final year of the existing arrangement.
The Bengal government’s statement means that future Chhath celebrations associated with the Bally site are expected to move to state-run ghats. The court’s directions for this year will govern entry, security, facilities and sound levels at Rashbari ghat during the permitted celebration.
