New Delhi
As the first light of dawn broke over the Yamuna on Tuesday, chants of ‘Bhor Bhai’ and ‘Jai Chhathi Maiya’ rose from Vasudev Ghat, where thousands of devotees had gathered to end their fast and mark the conclusion of the four-day Chhath Puja festival.
Women draped in their best saris and adorned in gold jewellery, among them Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, stood knee-deep in the river, hands folded in reverence to the rising sun. Others sat patiently on the ghat steps, awaiting sunrise, while men stood guard behind them.
At Vasudev Ghat, arrangements of live music, hot chai, and other stalls added colour to the festival dedicated to the Sun god. The mood was devotional, and most people remained focused on the rituals. With Purvanchalis making up nearly a third of Delhi’s electorate and the Bihar election round the corner, political parties have sought to woo the community. But at the ghats, the sentiment was unanimous: Chhath and politics are two different things.
‘Visible improvement’
