Delhi’s Diwali Shines; Chhath Puja Preparations Underway: CM Rekha Gupta

17 Model Ghats Along Yamuna to Host Grand Chhath Celebrations

Over 1,000 Ghats Across Delhi to Welcome Devotees with Full Facilities

Cases Against Devotees Performing Chhath to Be Withdrawn

New Delhi, Oct 2025 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that while this year’s Diwali celebrations in the city were spectacular, the upcoming festival of Chhath Puja will be marked by even greater devotion and spiritual fervour. The government, she said, has made extensive preparations to ensure that devotees can celebrate the festival in a clean, safe, and sacred environment.

Over 1,000 Chhath ghats are being built across Delhi, including 17 large model ghats along the Yamuna River. Each sub-division will also have at least one model ghat to make the festival accessible to devotees in every area. Around 200 ghats will host cultural programmes dedicated to Chhath. She added that, starting today, all MPs, MLAs, councillors, and public representatives have launched a Swachhta (Cleanliness) Campaign at the ghats in their constituencies. She also announced that cases filed a few years ago against devotees performing Chhath Puja on the Yamuna’s banks will now be withdrawn.

Chhath Puja: A Reflection of Delhi’s Faith and Culture

Speaking at a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta shared details of the preparations for this year’s Chhath Puja. She said the government is working to make the celebrations truly grand and well-organised. She was accompanied by Delhi’s Minister for Development and Tourism, Kapil Mishra, and Chief Whip Abhay Verma.

The Chief Minister said that Chhath Puja is not just a festival but a symbol of Delhi’s faith, culture, and devotion. The long-standing ban on performing Chhath Puja on the Yamuna River has been lifted, and now the government itself is constructing well-equipped ghats for devotees.
From Palla to Kalindi Kunj, 17 major ghats are being developed along the Yamuna, each ranging from half a kilometre to one and a half kilometres in length, depending on the local population. Every district and sub-division will also have at least one model ghat to make it easier for devotees to perform the rituals.

Government Actively Participating in the Celebrations

The Chief Minister said that while last year Chhath Puja was held at 929 ghats, this year more than 1,000 committees have already sought permission from the government to organise the festival. Every ghat will be provided with tents, lighting, drinking water, sanitation, and toilets. Grand entry gates will be set up to welcome devotees, and floral showers will be organised as a gesture of respect.

Over 200 ghats will also feature cultural programmes in Bhojpuri and Maithili languages to celebrate the spirit of the festival. For the first time, the Delhi Government itself will play an active role in such a large-scale religious and cultural event. Mobile toilets, sanitation staff, and medical vans will be deployed at most sites.

Cases Against Chhath Devotees to Be Withdrawn

The Chief Minister announced that a citywide cleanliness campaign has been launched, with MPs, MLAs, and local representatives leading efforts to keep ghats clean ahead of the festival. She also revealed that in 2021, during the previous government’s tenure, FIRs were filed against devotees who performed Chhath Puja on the Yamuna’s banks. The current government has now decided to withdraw all such cases.

“The earlier government imposed restrictions on people’s faith, but our government respects it,” said the Chief Minister. “Just as Delhi made history this Diwali by hosting a spectacular drone show and Deepotsav at Kartavya Path, this year’s Chhath Puja will also be both divine and grand.” She added, “Delhi is no longer just the political capital of India; it is fast becoming the capital of faith. The same devotion with which people lit diyas on Diwali will now shine on the banks of the Yamuna as they offer prayers to the Sun God. The Delhi Government will ensure that Chhath becomes a beautiful confluence of devotion, cleanliness, and cultural harmony.”