Bengal Urban Development Minister inspects ghats ahead of Chhath Puja

Kolkata, Nov 4 (PTI) West Bengal Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul on Wednesday visited several ghats in the city to take stock of preparations for Chhath Puja.

    Paul said she wanted to see first-hand the condition of the ghats so that the festival, which draws a huge number of worshippers, can be celebrated smoothly and safely.

    "The ghats are not clean. This has to be set right before the puja," she said after the inspection.

    The minister also asked the police to factor in the high tide situation on the two principal days of the festival, November 15 and 16, when devotees will gather in large numbers on the riverbanks. The Hooghly is a tidal river, and water levels at the ghats can change quickly during high tide.

    Devotees will offer prayers to the setting sun on the evening of November 15, while the rising sun will be worshipped on the morning of November 16, marking the conclusion of the festival.

    Chhath Puja, dedicated to the Sun God, is observed with great fervour by the Hindi-speaking community in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal.

    Worshippers, mostly women, stand in water and offer 'arghya' at sunset and sunrise, making cleanliness, crowd management and safety at the ghats key concerns for the authorities every year.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)