The Delhi government is preparing for Chhath Puja on an expanded scale this year, with a dedicated committee to coordinate arrangements across the capital and a cleanliness drive along the Yamuna forming part of the preparations for the festival.
More than 1,400 Chhath ghats are being readied across the capital, with instructions to complete essential infrastructure and facilities by November 6. The number is higher than the 1,326 ghats set up last year, and officials were told to inspect the sites in person rather than rely only on progress reports.
The government has constituted a committee specifically for Chhath Puja, headed by Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra. The committee is tasked with coordinating arrangements at ghats and other venues, including sanitation, drinking water, medical assistance, security, fire services, traffic management and electricity.
Cleanliness drive along the Yamuna
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined cabinet colleagues and volunteers on October 18 in the Chalo Yamuna campaign, which covered 70 locations along the river’s ghats and floodplains. The campaign was part of a wider push to clean the riverfront before the festival.
The sanitation arrangements are expected to continue throughout the festival, with a 24-hour cleaning mechanism planned at the ghats. The government has also said that arrangements for festivals should be completed in advance so that devotees can take part without inconvenience.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu reviewed the Delhi Development Authority’s preparedness on Friday and directed the authority to give devotees spaces and ponds around Chhath ghats on the Yamuna floodplain, in public spaces and in parks, free of cost.
Free spaces and ponds for devotees
The Lieutenant Governor instructed officials to ensure that the spaces and ponds identified for setting up Chhath ghats are thoroughly cleaned and spruced up before being handed over to devotees. He also directed that adequate lighting arrangements be made at all sites.
The allotment of these spaces should be carried out in a transparent manner, taking into account local requirements, past usage and demand from people observing the festival, particularly those from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The authority was directed to deploy staff to help devotees and to coordinate with the Delhi Jal Board and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held a detailed review meeting with officials of the departments concerned, the district administration and various agencies to assess preparations for the festival. She said there must be no shortcomings in arrangements for devotees’ convenience, safety, cleanliness or the smooth conduct of Chhath Puja.
Festival dates and holiday
Chhath Puja 2026 starts on Friday, November 13, and concludes on Monday, November 16, with the main festival day falling on Sunday, November 15. The rituals run from Nahay Khay on November 13 to Kharna on November 14, Sandhya Arghya on November 15 and Usha Arghya on November 16.
The Delhi government has declared November 16 a public holiday on account of Chhath Puja. Covered tents are to be arranged at large and medium-sized ghats in view of possible cold weather in November.
The festival is the four-day sun-worship festival of Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Nepal Terai. In Delhi, where a large community from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh now lives, the preparations have become a civic operation in their own right.
