Splendour of Chhath in Delhi different this year; happiness of people satisfying: CM Gupta

New Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI) Participating in Chhath festivities on Monday evening, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the grandness and splendour of the festival in the national capital this year was different from earlier.

Accompanied by Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and northwest Delhi MP Yogender Chandolia, Gupta visited a Chhath Ghat in Manglopuri.

Extending her well wishes to the people of Delhi, she said, "This splendour, grandness, and divinity of Chhath being celebrated now is providing succour to the Delhi people. I pray to Chhati Maiya for the prosperity and happiness of Delhi." During her visit, the chief minister mentioned that the festival was being celebrated along the Yamuna banks after many years. The performance of Chhath rituals, including the offering of "Arghya" to the Sun god, was prohibited under the previous government in Delhi.

The BJP government has made extensive preparations for the celebration of the festival by the Purvanchali community settled in Delhi.

According to rough estimates, the Purvanchalis constitute 40 per cent of Delhi's population and one of the largest sections of voters.

The Delhi government has prepared Ghats at 17 points from Palla to Kalindikunj on the Yamuna bank, besides setting up 1,500 temporary ghats in parks and other public places within the city.

Visiting a Chhath Ghat in Sonia Vihar alongside BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra, the chief minister greeted Chhath devotees on a boat ride in the Yamuna and performed "Arghya" (offering to the setting sun).

"It was a unique experience. I can not put into words the joy I felt after seeing joy on the faces of devotees," Gupta told PTI.

Lakhs of people celebrated Chhath at different places.

"Arrangements were made by the government, and those who used to go to their villages earlier to celebrate Chhath could do it here. People are happy, and I am satisfied that the efforts of the government were successful," she said.

Responding to the opposing AAP leaders’ attack on her government over Yamuna’s water quality and preparations for the festival, the chief minister said, "Some people tried to convert Chhath into a political arena, but people responded to them, showing their happiness with the grand celebration." "Not just Delhi, people from all over the country witnessed a grand celebration of Chhath in the city this time," she added.

Many BJP leaders, Delhi cabinet ministers, senior party functionaries, and elected representatives, including Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, West Delhi MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat, and Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal, participated in Chhath celebrations at various locations, offering "Arghya" to the setting Sun.

Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma also celebrated the festival by performing the rituals.

"In my New Delhi constituency, there is not much space available for celebrating Chhath. So, I prepared a ghat at my residence to enable Purvanchali brothers and sisters to perform the rituals," he said.

A large number of people from Purvanchal (Eastern UP, Bihar, and Jharkhand) converged at the ghats prepared by the Delhi government along the Yamuna bank and other places to celebrate Chhath.

The three-day festival will conclude with an early morning "Arghya" to the rising Sun. PTI VIT ANM NB