Chhath Puja 2023: On the last day of the 4-day Chhath Puja festival, Devotees on Monday gathered on the banks of rivers in several parts of the country to worship the rising sun. Visuals surfaced showing Devotees offering morning 'Araghya' to the rising Sun in Patna, Ranchi, Varanasi, Delhi and several other places.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Devotees were seen standing in knee-deep toxic foam in Yamuna to worship the rising Sun on Monday morning. The visuals showed toxic foam floating on the surface of the polluted Yamuna River during Chhath Puja celebrations at Kalindi Kunj in the national capital. The toxic foam is due to the high phosphate content in the Yamuna River, which can cause skin and respiratory problems.
The 'toxic situation' of Yamuna
The situation of the Yamuna remains the same despite ample promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the cleasnsing the holy river. The toxic foam of the Yamuna also sparked a political blame game between the BJP and AAP.
The situation of the Yamuna remains same despite ample promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the cleasnsing the holy river. The toxic foam of the Yamuna also sparked a political blame game between the BJP and AAP.
Earlier, AAP minister Atishi had inspected the Burari Ghat and made an assurance that the froth in the Yamuna will be cleared soon. "To remove that (toxic foam), sprinkling of food-grade chemicals and enzymes is being done there. The sprinkling team started the sprinkling work on 10 boats last night. In the next two days, the toxic foam will completely vanish...But I would like to urge the Uttar Pradesh government to not send its polluted water to Delhi," she had told the news agency ANI.
Chhath celebrated in Bihar's capital great fervour
Meanwhile, devotees across the country offered 'Araghya' and broke their 36-hour fast on Monday morning, marking the conclusion of the four-day-long Chhath Puja festival. In Patna, devotees gathered on the banks of the Ganga river at Digha Ganga Ghat in Patna on Monday morning to worship the rising Sun. The enthusiasm was seen in people as they were drowned in the festive mode and worshipping the rising sun.
About Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja is celebrated every year with much exuberance in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bengal. However, celebrations are also witnessed in the national capital, where a large section of people from the aforementioned states live. Devotees especially take the fast and worship the sun for the long lives and well-being of their family members, also praying for their expectations and attempts to come true.
It is believed that a person's desires and prayers from the heart's core will bring blessings. During the time of fasting, only those foods that are considered to be pure are consumed and cleanliness is one thing that is cared for the most during the period. This festival witnessed a high participation rate of women, is marked with fanfare and is also regarded as an occasion to take a break from household chores and be refreshed.
(With inputs from ANI)
