Delhi will observe a public holiday on November 16 for Chhath Puja, with more than 1,400 ghats being prepared across the capital for the four-day festival, according to an official notification and statements from the Delhi government.
The holiday will apply to all Delhi government offices, autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings under the Delhi government. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu issued the order declaring November 16 a holiday on the occasion of Chhath Puja.
The announcement comes as the Delhi government increases the number of designated worship sites from 1,326 last year to more than 1,400 this year. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said preparations were being carried out to support devotees and improve arrangements for safety, cleanliness and movement at the river, canal and waterbody-side locations used for the festival.
One of the largest preparations is an 11-kilometre-long ghat being developed along the Munak Canal. The ghat will extend from the Outer Ring Road to Inderlok and is being described by the Delhi government as the capital’s longest Chhath ghat. Its inauguration is scheduled for November 12 and will be attended by Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Nabin, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.
The Munak Canal ghat is being equipped with steps on both sides and a concrete road to facilitate the movement of devotees arriving for prayers. The arrangements are intended to reduce difficulties at a site expected to receive large numbers of people during the festival period.
The government has also directed officials to prioritise facilities for devotees at all designated ghats. Planned arrangements include changing rooms for women, closed-circuit television cameras at major ghats, adequate lighting, tents and round-the-clock cleaning. These facilities place the festival within the broader operational demands of managing temporary public spaces in a densely populated city.
The Chief Minister chaired a high-level review meeting before the start of the celebrations and instructed officials to give priority to public convenience, security and sanitation. The government said the main four-day observance will take place from November 13 to 16, with preparations and the inauguration of the Munak Canal ghat beginning earlier on November 12.
