Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday said more than 900 ghats have been prepared for the upcoming Chhath festival in the national capital.
New Delhi: Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday said more than 900 ghats have been prepared for the upcoming Chhath festival in the national capital. The minister has also informed that the government will provide tents, light, sound and other facilities to the devotees. The four-day festival will begin on November 17. During the occasion, the devotees fast and offer ‘arghya’ to the Sun God on the last two days.
“This year, the Delhi government has prepared over 900 Chhath ghats. Provisions for tent, light, and sound will be made for devotees. We want the devotees to have a good experience,” he told PTI.
Everyone should offer ‘arghya’ to the Sun God joyfully and get blessings of Chhathi Maiya, he said. Chhath Puja is celebrated six days after Diwali, and is mainly observed in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh by the natives of these states settled in other states or other countries.
While a large number of devotees living in Delhi-NCR, converge to the banks of Yamuna to offer ‘arghya’ every year, the pollution and frothing in the river often pose risks for them. So, many families observe it at parks, gardens and other public places where temporary ‘ghats’ are prepared and water is filled to let devotees perform the rituals.
Bank To Remain Close in These States on Account of Closure Chhath Puja:
According to the Reserve of India (RBI), banks in a few states will remain closed on Monday, November 20, 2023 on account of Surya Pashti Dala Chhath (Morning ardhya)/Chhath Puja. However, digital services like UPI, Mobile Banking, and Internet Banking will remain active during this period. On this day, Bihar and Jharkhand, both public and private sector banks will be closed in observance of Chhath Puja. Banks across India will remain non-functional for up to four days (these holidays include Sunday and the second Saturday), according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines..
List of other bank holidays in November 2023:
- November 20 (Monday): Banks will remain shut amid the celebration of Chhath (Morning Arghya) in Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan.
- November 23 (Thursday): Banks will remain shut in the view of Seng Kutsnem/Egaas-Bagwaal in Uttarakhand and Sikkim.
- November 27 (Monday): Bank will remain shut amid the Guru Nanak Jayanti/Karthika Purnima/Rahas Purnima celebration in Tripura, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Hyderabad – Telangana, Rajasthan, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh.
- November 30 (Thursday): On the occasion of Kanakadasa Jayanthi, banks will remain closed in Karnataka.