With Chhath puja around the corner, organisers of the festival in the national capital say they are facing difficulties in making arrangements as they are still awaiting permission from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for constructing 'Chhath Puja Ghats' at DDA parks for devotees to participate in the rituals and celebrations.
"We have permission from the District Magistrate and the Delhi government to celebrate Chhath Puja here but since we don't have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Development Authority, we are facing problems. We request the DDA to give permissions," said Sharad Dixit, an organiser.
This comes a day after the Delhi government declared November 10 as a public holiday this year on account of Chhath Puja.
Earlier, on October 27, Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had informed that the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has given permission to celebrate Chhath at determined places in Delhi with all COVID-19 norms in place.
"In the meeting of DDMA, permission was also given for the events of Chhath Puja in Delhi. Now all Delhiites will be able to celebrate Chhathparva collectively at pre-determined places, with full devotion but with the utmost care," Sisodia had tweeted.
Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun God and is mainly observed by the people from Bihar, Jharkhand and bordering areas in Uttar Pradesh.
As per the Hindu tradition, devotees worship the Sun God and his wife Usha to express gratitude and seek their blessings. Devotees gather and take a holy dip in rivers, ponds, and other water bodies during the four-day festivities.
This year, the festival will begin from November 8 with the 'Nahai Khai' ritual and will conclude on November 11 with devotees performing 'Usha Arghya' (prayers to the rising sun). The main celebration is on November 10 when devotees will offer 'argha' to Sun God.
( With inputs from ANI )
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