Thousands of people, particularly women, stand on holy rivers, ponds and water bodies early in the morning to worship the rising Sun on the festival days. The festival is mostly celebrated in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
An estimated half of New Delhi's 20 million people are migrants from these states, making the festival a major event in the capital.
The 'popular' festival that usually attracts thousands of people to riverbanks for ritual baths passed off unnoticed on Nov. 20 in New Delhi after a court banned gatherings amid spiraling Covid-19 pandemic cases.
Delhi High Court upheld a government decision not to allow any gatherings in public places when Hindu group Durga Jan Seva Trust challenged the decision of Delhi Disaster Management Authority to cancel Chhath Puja festival gatherings. The festival, dedicated to the sun god, is also to thank Shashthi Devi, the benefactor and protector of children. It gives thanks for the bounties of life on earth while praying for the granting of certain wishes.
The bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad dismissed a petition by a community-based organisation Durga Jan Seva Trust challenging the November 10 order of chairman of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) stating this was being done as the "third wave" of the pandemic Covid19 has hit the national capital.
The court said allowing a large gathering would result in people becoming super spreaders of the deadly infection.
The Chhath Puja celebrations are held at public places with 'married women devotees' gathering in large numbers like ponds and riverbanks.
The women folk from Bihar and eastern UP offer prayers to Sun God for long life of their husbands and well being of the family and children. In a city of 20 million population and a large number of them thronging from rest of India, more than 9,000 people were hospitalised in the city suffering Corona infection on Tuesday, Nov 16, officials said.
The trust had sought permission to hold a gathering of 1,000 people for Chhath Puja. To their plea, the High Court said, “In today’s day and time, such a petition is belied by the ground reality".
The prayer to allow gathering of about 1000 devotees was dismissed by the court with a rather sarcastic remark: "Oh really! Today when the Delhi government is not allowing marriages with over 50 persons, you want only 1,000 persons. How come?"
The bench said the the petition did not have any 'merit' to be considered or taken cognizant. Many citizens have expressed their anguish on some organisations challenging the government's decisionto enforce restrictions on people'e movement due to pandemic.
"It is ridiculous that some people want their festival at the risk for entire capital city and thousands of lives. This is an ideal case of misuse of public sentiment or democratic spirit. Entire Europe was locked during Good Friday and Easter, no one protested," said Sheetal Mukherjee, a Hindu woman adding, "Even we Bengali Hindus compromised during Durga Puja and no Durga puja was organised in East Delhi".
She said churches had suspended Sunday Mass in several cities for months. Mumbai resumed Masses only last week. Catholics and Protestants have also advised against receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue.
She further said: "Among Christians, the Church of England has also advised against placing of holy wafers directly on the tongue by those administering Eucharist".
Moreover, most churches and temples and places of worship in various parts of the world have already advised people not to shake hands or embrace each other so that the pandemic is not spread.
India's national capital, Delhi, on November 12-13 reported 104 new deaths and 7,053 new infections. Infections in the country rose by 44,789 in about 24 hours time span taking the total to 8.73 million, only behind the US tally.
At the national level, India saw jump of 38,617 fresh Corona cases and 474 deaths in a day.
Total cases shot up to 89.12 lakh and there have been already 130,993 total deaths. On Nov 18, Wednesday, Delhi recorded its highest covid related death toll at 131 and there were 7486 fresh cases.
Total cases in Delhi has jumped 0.5 million mark and total casualties due to pandemic, as on Nov 18 has been 7943. However, Mumbai so far has highest deaths due to Corona with the figures being 10, 615.
Making things worse for citizens of Delhi and adjoining areas, there is also huge deterioration in air quality due to pollution and annual smog. Medical experts say PM2.5 pollutants, fine particles in high concentration, in Delhi’s air can harm the nasal passage barrier and also damage the inner lining of lungs.
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