Millions Observe Chhath as Authorities Boost Safety

Millions of devotees observed the third day (Sandhya Arghya) of the four-day Chhath festival on Oct. 27, gathering at ghats and waterbodies from the Yamuna in Delhi to the Ganga in Varanasi, the Gomti in Lucknow, the Sangam in Prayagraj and ghats across Kanpur and other cities. Many observed a strict 36-hour nirjala fast, standing waist-deep to offer arghya with baskets of thekua, fruits, sugarcane and other ritual items. Authorities and organizers deployed National Disaster Response Force teams, police, medical aid, sanitation crews, changing rooms, electricity connections, sandbags and 17 model ghats to manage crowds and prevent accidents. Delhi allowed devotees to perform rites on both sides of the Yamuna after five years of river restrictions, and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, MP Manoj Tiwari and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra joined prayers and inspected facilities. State jail administrations in Bihar and Jharkhand also made elaborate arrangements so inmates could participate — for example, Beur Central Jail in Patna built a 1,000 sq ft pond filled with Ganga water for 38 inmates and Buxar Central Jail reported 18 inmates fasting. Cultural performances and folk songs enlivened the ghats while markets experienced heavy demand and rising prices for ritual items.