By Nitin Nabin Highlights Contribution of Purvanchal Community
Addressing the gathering, Nitin Nabin described the project as a significant gift for Chhath devotees, particularly members of the Purvanchal community and followers of Sanatana Dharma.
He said people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh had made an important contribution to the development of different states through their hard work and dedication. Providing a dedicated Chhath ghat in Delhi, he added, reflected respect for their religious beliefs, cultural traditions and identity.
Nabin said the facility would allow members of the Purvanchal community to observe the festival with dignity and access to better arrangements.
Chhath Puja holds particular importance for people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, many of whom live in Delhi. The festival involves offering prayers to the setting and rising Sun, often at riverbanks and other water bodies. Its cultural and religious significance also makes arrangements for the festival an important issue in the capital.
Chief Minister Says Long-Pending Demand Fulfilled
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta called the inauguration a moment of pride for Delhi, especially for the Purvanchal community. She said residents around the Munak Canal had waited for years for a properly developed site where devotees could perform Chhath rituals.
Gupta alleged that previous governments had failed to take concrete steps to address the demand. After the BJP formed the government in Delhi, she said, the project was taken up as a priority and completed.
She also pointed to the pace of development work across the capital, describing it as an outcome of coordination between the Centre and the Delhi government. Gupta said she would personally visit different Chhath ghats, join devotees in celebrating the festival and offer arghya to the Sun God.
Yamuna Cleanup Remains a Political and Religious Issue
The inauguration also comes against the backdrop of the BJP’s promise to clean the Yamuna, a key issue during the 2025 Delhi Assembly election. The party returned to power in the capital after 27 years, having made river cleaning a prominent part of its campaign.
For many people from Purvanchal, the Yamuna has religious importance, particularly during Chhath Puja, when devotees traditionally gather near water bodies to offer prayers. The development of alternative and better-equipped ghats is therefore significant for festival arrangements in the city.
Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the 11-km facility was the longest Chhath ghat in Delhi and the first of its kind in the country to be developed along a canal. He credited the Irrigation and Flood Control Department with completing the project and described it as a matter of pride for the department.
