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NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday said that the upcoming festival of Chhath Puja will be marked by even greater devotion and spiritual fervour. The CM announced that cases filed a few years ago against devotees performing Chhath Puja on the Yamuna's banks will now be withdrawn. She attended a review meeting headed by L-G V K Saxena over preparations for the Chhath. In a post on X, Gupta shared the photo of the meeting, saying the government is committed to providing every Chhath devotee in Delhi a clean and safe environment during the festival. Over 1,000 Chhath ghats are being built across Delhi out of which around 200 ghats will host cultural programmes dedicated to Chhath. She added that all MPs, MLAs, councillors, and public representatives have launched a Swachhta (cleanliness) campaign at the ghats in their constituencies. Speaking at a press conference, Gupta said that Chhath Puja is not just a festival but a symbol of capital's faith, culture and devotion. The long-standing ban on performing Chhath Puja on the Yamuna River has been lifted and now the government is constructing well-equipped ghats for devotees. The chief minister said that while last year Chhath Puja was held at 929 ghats, this year more than 1,000 committees have already sought permission from the government to organise the festival. Every ghat will be provided with tents, lighting, drinking water, and toilets. Grand entry gates will be set up to welcome devotees, and floral showers will be organised as a gesture of respect. Over 200 ghats will feature cultural programmes in Bhojpuri and Maithili languages to celebrate the festival's spirit. "For the first time, the government will play an active role in such a large-scale religious event," the CM said.
New Delhi: Delhi AAP unit President Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday slammed the Delhi government under the BJP over their claims of cleaning the Yamuna and challenged Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Parvesh Verma to "drink a litre of Yamuna water" to prove their claims. Speaking to ANI, Bharadwaj said, "The chemical which was sprayed by the previous Delhi government is being sprayed by the current government... The government is lying that the Yamuna is clean. If Rekha Gupta says that the water in the Yamuna is clean, then I ask Rekha Gupta and Parvesh Verma to come with me and drin ...Read More >
New Delhi: The political battle over cleaning the Yamuna intensified on Sunday as AAP's Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Delhi govt over its claim of cleaning the river. Bharadwaj challenged CM Rekha Gupta and minister Parvesh Verma to "drink a litre of Yamuna water" to prove that the river is now cleaner ahead of Chhath Puja.Responding to him, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor wrote on X: "Mr Saurabh, you are educated too, so please tel ...Read More >
Muzaffarpur/Darbhanga, Oct 29 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of doing "anything for votes" and alleging that the BJP was running the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar "through remote control". Gandhi made the statements, kicking off his assembly poll campaign in the state by holding back-to-back rallies in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga. Addressing joint rallies alongside the INDIA bloc's CM face Tejashwi Yadav, "You must have seen the drama on TV that Modi was going to take a dip in the Yamuna for Ch ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], October 30 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Bihar chief Dilip Jaiswal criticised Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the Chhath puja, alleging that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha is frustrated and "gone into depression", and crossed all limits with his allegedly objectionable remarks. "If you listen to Rahul Gandhi's speech, you can see his frustration... He has gone into depression, and when someone goes into depression, their language crosses limits," the Bihar BJP chief told ANI on Wednesday. Also Read | Rajasthan Weather Update: Rain, Fog and Cold Wave Tighten Gr ...Read More >
Motihari (Bihar) [India], October 30 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday criticised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Chhath Puja and said that the comments are a "grave insult" to India's culture and women's power. Dhami attended an election rally in support of the BJP candidate from Kalyanpur Assembly constituency in Motihari, East Champaran district of Bihar. Speaking to ANI, Dhami alleged that Rahul Gandhi mocks the Sanatan culture and Chhathi Maiyya through his appeasement politics. "This country is governed by civilisation, values, and culture, and Ra ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: After four days of relentless downpours, Telangana is expected to have a brief respite on Monday, with no rainfall alerts issued. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) placed the state under a yellow alert for thunderstorms. IMD data showed that Papannapet in Medak district received the heaviest 24-hour rainfall at 10.6 cm, followed by Manoor in Sangareddy with 9.28 cm and Nallabelly in Warangal at 9.15 cm. The statewide average rainfall for the day stood at 7.3 mm, notably higher than the normal 4.3 mm. Warangal's Sangem recorded the day's highest maximum temperature ...Read More >
Patna, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, on Sunday, made a series of major announcements regarding the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections during a press conference in Patna after a two-day consecutive meetings with top state officials. Starting his address in Bhojpuri and Maithili, the CEC urged voters to treat elections like a festival. "Just as we celebrate Chhath with devotion and enthusiasm, we must celebrate this great festival of democracy. Ensure your participation, fulfill your responsibility, and vote," Kumar said. Highlighting the achievements ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 27 (ANI): Today marks the third day of the Chhath Mahaparv, with devotees across the country offering the traditional evening Arghya to the setting Sun as part of the ongoing four-day festival dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. The four-day Chhath Mahaparv, dedicated to the worship of the Sun God, began on Saturday with the sacred ritual of Nahay-Khay, followed by Kharna on Sunday, and today marks the Sandhya Arghya (evening arghya). Also Read | BMC Elections 2025: Uddhav Thackeray Tells Shiv Sena UBT Workers To 'Fight Electoral Roll Scam'. The festival will ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], October 28 (ANI): Devotees on Tuesday morning offered "Usha Arghya" to the rising Sun on the last day of Chhath Puja. The devotees reached the riverbanks to witness the rising Sun and to perform pooja. In Bihar, people flocked to the Patna Collectorate Ghat in Bihar to prepare for the "Usha Arghya." The devotees carefully placed offerings, including flowers and fruits, in various locations at the ghat. Security personnel were present to ensure the smooth conduct of the "Usha Arghya." Also Read | Infantry Day 2025: PM Narendra Modi Pays Tribute to Valour, Supreme Sacrif ...Read More >
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on "sustained efforts to make the Yamuna clean", assuring him that BJP govt in Delhi is "fully committed to rejuvenate" the river. CM also said govt was making arrangements across the city to ensure that the Chhath was celebrated in a grand manner. "Delhi govt is committed to building a 'Viksit Delhi', transforming the capital into a modern, clean, safe and citizen-friendly city," CM said after the meeting.Gupta told PM that govt was enhancing sewage treatment capacity, using modern wastewater treatment techn ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) The government is making preparations on a war footing to organise Chhath Puja at more than 1,300 ghats across the city, with special arrangements along the Yamuna river, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra said on Thursday. Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Culture Minister Mishra inspected the Vasudev Ghat and reviewed the ongoing preparations, according to an official statement. They directed officials to ensure that arrangements related to cleanliness, lighting, security and traffic management are completed in time so that devotees do not face any inconvenience, it said. ...Read More >
New Delhi: Haryana released additional water into the Yamuna's main channel from the Hathnikund Barrage, days before Chhath Puja, data from Central Water Commission (CWC) shows.The higher flow is expected to improve the water quality and ensure adequate flow for the festival, some experts said. An official, however, said that the move was for rejuvenating the river, "not just for Chhath Puja. It's also to maintain the river's flow and keep it clean." CWC data shows that since 5 pm on Tuesday, no water was diverted into the Eastern and Western Yamuna Canals, which typically draw a major share o ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: As the four-day Chhath Puja festival began on Saturday with the Nahay Khay ritual, political tensions in the capital flared following a Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) report showing a decline in the Yamuna's water quality. The report stated that the river's water remains unfit for bathing across Delhi, except at Palla, where it enters the city. Samples taken on October 9 revealed high pollution levels, with major drains, such as Molarband and Sahibabad, recording Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels of 145 mg/l and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) at 416 mg/l -- five times ...Read More >
Commuters have been advised to avoid stretches near ghats and use public transport. New Delhi: Anticipating that thousands of devotees would gather at various ghats for Chhath Puja in the next two days, Delhi Traffic Police on Sunday announced traffic restrictions and diversions across several parts of the city. According to the advisory, traffic flow is expected to be affected from Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning on roads adjoining major Chhath Puja ponds. Commuters have been advised to a ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: As the political temperature in the capital rises, there is buzz that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit Vasudev Ghat on Tuesday to offer morning Arghya (prayers to the rising sun) on the final day of Chhath Puja. CM Rekha Gupta and her ministerial colleagues are also expected to attend the prayer ceremony around 5:30 am. After a gap of several years, the Delhi government has allowed devotees to offer prayers directly in the Yamuna, claiming that the river water is now cleaner and fit for entry. Authorities have set up 17 model ghats along the river and more than 1,000 ghats ac ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi Traffic Police has announced restrictions and diversions across several parts of the city in view of the expected rush of devotees at various ghats for Chhath Puja in the next two days. According to the advisory issued late Sunday, traffic flow is expected to be affected from Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning on roads adjoining major Chhath Puja ponds. Commuters have been advised to avoid stretches near ghats and use public transport wherever possible. In east and northeast Delhi, major gatherings are expected at the Gandhi Nagar Chhath Poojan Samiti Naav Ghat near the Old ...Read More >
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal with women from purvanchal stages a protest against AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.Source : PTI Delhi Police on Monday detained Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal as she protested outside Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's residence over the government's failure to clean the Yamuna River. Maliwal, accompanied by a group of women from Purvanchal, carried water collected from the Yamuna to Kejriwal's residence, accusing him of neglecting the river's worsening condition. Speaking to news agency ANI, she re ...Read More >
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 27 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his wishes on the occasion of Chhath Puja festivity. He said that the festival is a symbol of India's unity, spiritual upliftment and ancient heritage. CM Yogi Adityanath participated in Chhath Puja rituals at Gomti Ghat, Laxman Mela Ground in Lucknow on Monday. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak was also present with him. Addressing a gathering, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "This is not just an event and gathering, it is a symbol of India's unity, spiritual upliftment and ancient heritage. It is a fou ...Read More >
Lucknow: As the sun dipped into the horizon, Laxman Mela ground came alive with the shimmering glow of diyas floating on the Gomti river and the melodic echoes of prayers as a sea of humanity gathered to offer evening 'arghya' (offerings) as part of the Chhath festival on Monday.Women, adorned in vibrant sarees and marked with vermillion from nose to forehead, sat across the vedis, escorted by their children and male family members. The air was filled with the sweet scent of offerings as they brought forth an array of symbolic items -- sugarcane stalks, kalash filled with rice, thekua, mango l ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], September 29 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said that the national capital will witness a grand Chhath Puja this year and arrangements will be done at banks on both sides of the Yamuna river. She said focus will be given on cleanliness of the ghats. "To ensure that the Chhath Puja festival is historic, this year, we will make a detailed plan and preparations for it. Arrangements for the Chhath puja will be done at banks on both sides of the river. Focus will be laid on cleanliness at the ghats. Delhi will witness a grand Chhath Puja this year." Prime Mi ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 27 (ANI): AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj tore apart every lie spoken by BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva, exposing with evidence how it was the BJP itself that systematically stopped Chhath Puja on the Yamuna banks for three consecutive years when AAP was in power, even as it now pretends to champion the festival ahead of the Bihar elections. Saurabh Bharadwaj revealed that after the COVID-19 pandemic, then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had sought permission in 2022 for Chhath Puja on the Yamuna banks, but the Lieutenant Governor (LG)-controlled D ...Read More >
The CM stated that she would personally inspect the Yamuna and other sites to ensure preparations are thorough. The government will also request water from Haryana if required, Gupta added The Delhi government has decided to allow the celebration of Chhath Puja on both banks of the Yamuna River, with a caveat -- only worship will be permitted, not immersion. "Immersion in the Yamuna is prohibited under existing rules, and immersion does not form part of Chhath rituals," said Chief Minister Rekh ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) Delhi BJP leader Anil Gupta on Thursday took a ritual sip (aachman) of the water from the Yamuna, claiming the river is on the road to recovery from its heavily polluted state because of the efforts of the party's government in the last eight months. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, who had taken a dip in the Yamuna in October last year to register his protest against alleged "apathy" of the then AAP government over pollution in Yamuna, claimed that the water of the river was almost "normal" now. "On October 25, 2024, when I took a dip in the Yamuna at the ITO g ...Read More >
Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday blazed through poll-bound Bihar with back-to-back rallies in Samastipur and Begusarai districts, calling upon voters to keep at bay the opposition RJD-Congress combine led by "people out on bail" and predicting a record-breaking victory for the NDA. The PM also sought to underscore the contrast between a fractious INDIA bloc and the cohesive BJP-led coalition, which included Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party and Hindustani Awam Morcha headed by Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, respectively, besides R ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday joined efforts for cleaning and opening a Chhath Puja Ghat located under the pontoon bridge near Yamuna Bank Metro Station, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the Purvanchal community. Sachdeva personally visited the under-construction Chhath Ghat beneath the Metro Station, participated in the cleanliness drive, and said that by building this ghat, which was forced closed by the previous Arvind Kejriwal government, the aspirations of the community living in nearby areas like Laxmi Nagar and Pandav Nagar have ...Read More >
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday extended her greetings to people for Chhath Puja, calling it a festival that spreads the message of unity, purity, and devotion. She also joined devotees during the Kharna Puja. "Chhath is not merely a religious ritual but a radiant symbol of Indian culture that conveys a message of harmony, cleanliness and faith. It reflects discipline, sincerity, and collective goodwill," Gupta said.Water minister Parvesh Verma inspected Chhath ghats across Delhi, ...Read More >
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 28 (ANI): The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed at the major ghats of Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Chandauli on the last day of Chhath Puja. The NDRF teams are ensuring the safety of the devotees offering prayers on various ghats. Also Read | Amazon Layoffs: E-Commerce Giant Likely To Announce Mass Job Cuts, Expected To Lay Off Around 30,000 Corporate Employees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended warm greetings to people across the country on the auspicious conclusion of the four-day-long Chhath Puja, praying ...Read More >
Bihar's folk singer Maithili Thakur will contest the assembly election from Alinagar on a BJP ticket New Delhi: Bihar's folk singer Maithili Thakur will contest the assembly election from Alinagar on a BJP ticket. Her name was among 12 candidates in the second list that the BJP released today. The BJP has fielded new candidates in nine out of the 12 assembly constituencies in this list. Other key candidates in the second list include former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Anand Mishra, wh ...Read More >
New Delhi, October 24: The grand festival of Chhath Puja, dedicated to worshipping the Sun God, is set to give a major boost to the Indian economy, with trade worth around Rs 38,000 crore expected across the country, according to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Friday. This marks a sharp rise of 22.58 per cent from last year's Rs 31,000 crore and Rs 27,000 crore in 2023 -- reflecting the festival's growing cultural and economic significance. The four-day festival, celebrated with devotion and grandeur, has not only become a symbol of faith and purity but also a driver of loca ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 27 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday performed 'sandhya arghya' as part of the Chhath Puja celebrations at a ghat in Sonia Vihar and asked "Chhathi Maiya" to bless the people of India. While talking to the media, Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that her government has fulfilled the promises made to the residents of Delhi. She said, "Delhi has regained its grandeur after years, and the joy that my brothers and sisters from Purvanchal in lakhs enjoyed while offering Arghya to Lord Surya Narayan on the banks of the Yamuna, the satisfaction on th ...Read More >