Lucknow Prepares 110 Gomti River Ghats for Chhath Puja

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation has made arrangements across 110 ghats along the Gomti River for the upcoming Chhath Puja celebrations, aligning with the directives of the Yogi government. These preparations span 47 major ghats and 63 smaller ghats distributed across all eight zones of the city to provide a clean and safe environment for devotees. Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar directed the deployment of dustbins, lighting decorations, painting, and water tankers at the sites alongside mobile toilets for public convenience. Control rooms have been set up at the ghats to monitor festival arrangements. To promote environmental protection, Arpan Kalash vessels have been placed at every ghat to collect ritual offerings instead of letting them enter water bodies, supporting a zero-waste initiative managed by deployed sanitation workers. Zone-wise arrangements highlight specific locations such as Laxman Mela Ghat and Lallumal Ghat in Zone 1, Lete Hanuman Mandir Ghat in Zone 2, and Jhulelal Ghat in Zone 3, alongside other designated spots across the remaining zones. The four-day festival itself runs from November 13 to November 16, beginning with Nahay-Khay and concluding with Usha Arghya, drawing on historical traditions associated with figures like Karna, Draupadi, and Goddess Sita.

Context

Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya for the well-being of family and society. Civic authorities across several states routinely step up riverbank cleanups and crowd management during major public festivals to handle large gatherings safely.