Thousands turn up at Sector 42 lake for Chhath Puja

Thousands of devotees, especially those hailing from Bihar and UP, flocked the Sector 42 Lake to celebrate Chhath Puja with devotion and enthusiasm. With chants, prayers and traditional songs, the lake wore a festive look as devotees offered "arghya" to the setting sun and sought blessings for the prosperity and well-being of their families.

Women dressed in vibrant sarees carried baskets filled with fruits, sugarcane and other offerings, while men assisted in the rituals.

The Purvachal Yuva Seva Samity had invited folk singers from Eastern Uttar Pradesh to perform during the celebrations at the Sector 42 lake.

Samiti president Brijesh Kumar Gupta said Bhojpuri singers Sapna Singh and Vinita Divakar performed during the Chhath Puja.

Gupta, who hails from Bihar but is now settled in the city, said the samiti has been organising Chhath Puja events since 2016 in the city.

The Engineering Department had carried out the cleaning of the lake, repair and maintenance of infrastructure. Provision of adequate lighting power backup were in place. Proper parking facilities have also been set up for the convenience of devotees and the general public.

A large number of police personnel were deployed in and around Sector 42 Lake to manage the crowd and maintain law and order.

Vimla Rani, a resident of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, said it was a 36-hout fast and they would eat only after offering arghya to the rising sun tomorrow morning.

Shashi Shankar Tiwari, a member of the Purvachal Association, said the devotees would start arriving before 4 am tomorrow to offer arghya to Sun God.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation organised vibrant Chhath Puja celebrations at Sunder Nagar, Mauli Jagran and New Indra Colony in Manimajra. Hundreds of devotees gathered at these places.