Delhi govt. declares November 19 a ‘dry day’ for Chhath Puja

Delhi govt declares Nov 19 'dry day' for Chhath Puja; 1,000 ghats readied for devotees. Delhi govt declares Nov 19 'dry day' to respect Purvanchali community's religious sentiments. 1,000 ghats readied for Chhath Puja, incl. construction of ponds, tents, lights, cleanliness & security. Delhi BJP's allegations of corruption baseless.

The Delhi government has declared November 19 a ‘dry day’ in view of Chhath Puja, a four-day festival that began in the city on Friday.

An order issued by the Excise Department said all liquor shops will remain closed on Sunday, when devotees observe fasting and flock to the ghats to worship the Sun god.

Last month, Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely had demanded that November 19 be declared a ‘dry day’, keeping in mind the religious sentiments of the Purvanchali community. Purvanchalis are Bhojpuri-speaking people from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and parts of Jharkhand, a large number of whom have settled in Delhi, making them one of the largest voter bases in the Capital.

Taking stock of the preparations for the festival, Revenue Minister Atishi inspected the preparations at the ghats at ITO and West Vinod Nagar on Friday. The Minister said Delhi is home to a large number of people from the Purvanchal region who contribute socially, economically, and culturally to the development of the city.

“Chhath is a very important festival for all of them. In this regard, for the past eight years, the Arvind Kejriwal government has been organising Chhath Mahaparv in a grand manner across Delhi,” she said, adding that there will not be any shortcomings in the preparations.

All MLAs and officials of the various government departments will be present on the ground carrying out the directives of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, she said.

Ms. Atishi said the government has readied more than 1,000 ghats across the city so that people can celebrate the festival without having to travel far away from their homes. She also directed the officials to expedite the preparations at the ghats.