Chhath Puja is an important festival for all Purvanchalis which celebrates purity and devotion by offering prayers to the Sun God during a four-day-long period after the Diwali festival. This year the festival will begin on November 7th with the first day or 'nahay khay' where devotees cleanse themselves by taking a dip in the holy water to start their spiritual journey and end on November 11 by offering 'arghya' (prayers or salutation) to the Sun God. For those who are looking to celebrate the festival with pomp and splendour, here are 5 iconic ghats in Delhi NCR that they can visit during the festivities.
Yamuna Ghat at ITO is Delhi's oldest ghat for Chhath Puja celebrations. Every year 'Purvanchalis' gather at the historic ghat to offer prayers to the Sun god for one of the most important rituals of the Chhath festivities. The devotees dip in the holy water to mark their devotion on the very first day, to clean themselves before beginning the spiritual four-day-long festivities and then visit the ghat once again on the last day.
Another ghat where lakhs of devotees gather to offer prayers is the Yamuna Ghat near in Wazirabad Bridge in the Old Delhi area of the national capital. The ghat is a favourite among those looking for a scenic view with the majestic Wazirabad Barrage in the backdrop. If you are looking to get gram-worthy selfies to mark the spiritual festival, this ghat the place to go!
While Kalindi Kunj ghat is one of the more dangerous ghats to offer prayers because here the Yamuna is often covered with a layer of toxic foam, but still devotees visit the ghat due to its iconic status and its easy approachability from all parts of the national capital. If you are looking for a natural ghat you can visit with ease and by skipping all the festive traffic, keep the Kalindi Kunj ghat in your mind.
For North and Central Delhi residents who are looking for low-key celebrations, the?Chhat Maiya Surya Ghat in Delhi's Burari area is the ghat for you! This ghat is accompanied by a historic temple where priests also guide you in performing the rituals if you are celebrating your first Chhath Puja.
One of the ghats which is visited by tourists very often due to its scenic beauty and boating arrangements, the?Kudesia Ghat at Delhi's Kashmere Gate area is a must-visit for all the devotees who are looking to indulge in the beauty of the Yamuna river as they celebrate the spiritual festival. Delhi government also keeps up with the maintenance of the ghat in anticipation of the influx of devotees, so this ghat is one of the more managed ones.
However, if you can't make it to any one of these ghats, Delhi government is setting up around 1000 'model ghats' in various constituencies of the national capital for the devotees to offer prayers during the Chhath Puja festivities.
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