Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Vasudev Ghat in Delhi early Tuesday to offer morning Arghya (prayers to the rising sun) on the final day of Chhath Puja, officials said on Saturday. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and cabinet ministers will also join the ceremony around 5.30am, they added.
Officials said this marks the first time in four years that the Delhi government, now led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has allowed devotees to offer prayers directly in the river, claiming the water is cleaner and fit for entry. The government has set up 17 ghats along the river and another 1,300 across the capital.
“The PM will offer morning Arghya at Vasudev Ghat and will be joined by the CM and other Delhi ministers. He has asked that the visit not cause inconvenience to other devotees,” an official said.
BJP leaders and ministers have been monitoring festival preparations for over a week. The Chhath Ghat near Yamuna Bank Metro station has also been reopened after five years, following appeals from the Purvanchal community, party leaders said.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, who visited the site Saturday morning, took part in a cleanliness drive and inspected preparations. “We have fulfilled the aspirations of the Bihar community in areas like Laxmi Nagar and Pandav Nagar,” he said.
Water minister Parvesh Verma said a pond has been dug in his lawns at Windsor Place for residents to perform rituals. Development Minister Kapil Mishra inspected Narela Ghat, ensuring safe and smooth celebrations.
Officials said preparations are nearly complete at Trilokpuri, Sonia Vihar, Kalindi Kunj, Vasudev Ghat, and Narela, with final checks on tents, cleanliness, and medical aid underway.