NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Thursday inaugurated an 11-km-long Chhath Ghat along both banks of the Munak Canal in North Delhi, ahead of festival.The Delhi government has called it as the country’s longest Chhath Ghat, developed to provide better facilities to devotees from the Purvanchal community and other parts of the city.Union minister of state Harsh Malhotra, Delhi ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Kapil Mishra, MP Praveen Khandelwal and several MLAs were also present at the inauguration.The project, being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 115.29 crore, involves the redevelopment of an approximately 11-km stretch along both sides of the canal. It includes the construction of the Chhath Ghat, service roads along the canal, bridges, road widening and beautification work.The government said the development would transform the previously neglected stretch into a cleaner public space with improved infrastructure and facilities. Steps, lighting arrangements and parks are also being developed for devotees.Addressing the gathering, Nabin said the project reflected the government’s recognition of the religious beliefs and cultural identity of the Purvanchal community, whose members have contributed to the development of Delhi.He said Chhath was not merely a religious ritual but a festival rooted in purity, devotion, discipline and gratitude towards nature. Devotees offer arghya to the setting and rising Sun, while the festival brings people together across social divisions.Nabin said the development of the ghat would allow people from Purvanchal and Bihar to celebrate Chhath in Delhi with dignity and access to proper facilities. He added that the initiative reflected respect for the faith and traditions of different sections of society.Chief minister Rekha Gupta said the area around the Munak Canal had remained neglected for years and residents had been waiting for a dedicated facility where devotees could perform Chhath rituals.She said the project was taken up as a priority after the BJP government came to power in Delhi. The chief minister added that the development was part of the government’s efforts to improve infrastructure across the capital.“Chhath celebrations in Delhi will be grander and more divine this year than last year,” Gupta said. She also said she would visit different ghats, celebrate the festival with devotees and offer arghya to the Sun God.Ghat to host other cultural celebrationsMalhotra said the project was significant not only for improving infrastructure but also for preserving Delhi’s cultural and religious heritage. He said the ghat would serve as a venue for cultural, social and public activities throughout the year, beyond Chhath celebrations.He added that mothers and other devotees observing the fast would be able to offer arghya with access to better facilities.Irrigation and flood control minister Parvesh Sahib Singh described the facility as Delhi’s longest Chhath Ghat and the first of its kind in the country to be developed along a canal. He said the Purvanchal community had played a significant role in building Delhi and that providing devotees with a dedicated place to perform their rituals was a matter of dignity and respect.Meanwhile, culture minister Kapil Mishra said Chhath celebrations were being organised at 1,400 ghats across Delhi this year. He claimed that better arrangements had been made for devotees at the ghats along the Yamuna as well.The government said the Munak Canal redevelopment would also provide organised spaces for other religious and cultural events, including Durga Puja and Ganesh Puja.
