Hyderabad gears up for Chhath Puja celebrations
The Hindu
Telangana govt. designates 70 locations in GHMC for Chhath Puja. Festival celebrated by Bihari community to worship Sun God, taking place Nov 17-20. Govt. providing amenities & necessary arrangements for devotees. Cleaning of ghats underway, remaining amenities to be supplied. Govt. supporting community, enforcing model code of conduct.
The Deepavali festivities may have concluded but the joy continues for the Bihari community residing in Hyderabad as they are set to celebrate Chhath Puja over the weekend.
The Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department of the State government has designated 70 locations within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits where worshippers can perform puja.
Chhath, a four-day Hindu festival dedicated to worshipping the Sun God, is observed six days after Diwali, specifically on the sixth day of the Kartik month, according to the Hindu almanac. The festival is celebrated mostly in Bihar, Jharkhand, and certain parts of Uttar Pradesh. The puja this year is scheduled from November 17 to 20.
In response to representations submitted by two associations, the Jan Seva Sangh and the Bihar Association, both based in Hyderabad, the MA&UD has taken measures to facilitate amenities and necessary arrangements for devotees participating in the puja.
Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar, acting on these representations, wrote a letter to GHMC Commissioner Ronald Rose, urging the provision of essential infrastructure such as water supply, lighting, tents, stages, public address system, and the cleaning of ghats.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Kumar said: The Jan Seva Sangh provided a list of 24 Chhath puja ghats, and the Bihar Association submitted a list of 21 locations. Additionally, the department has identified approximately 20 more locations within the GHMC limits, especially near lakes, where space will be made available for devotees to perform puja.
He further informed that all organisers have been instructed to refrain from inviting politicians as chief guests or displaying photos on banners, in compliance with the model code of conduct in force in the State.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.