Delhi Bans Public Celebration Of Chhat Puja, Allows Ramlila, Durga Puja With Curbs

Mumbai: Ahead of the festive season, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday issued new COVID preventive measures which mentioned that the Chhat pooja celebration shall not be allowed in public places, public grounds, riverbanks, temples etc. in Delhi.

They have advised celebrating the festival at their homes. Last year too, the DDMA did not allow the celebration of Chhat in public places.

Chhat Puja, a three-day festival of worshipping the sun, will be celebrated between November 8-10 this year. It is most popular in states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

In Thursday’s order, the DDMA said that even for festivals that are allowed in public spaces, there can be no processions, rallies, food stalls, fairs, or other stalls both inside and outside the venue.

It also said, “No permission shall be granted by a district magistrate or other authorities for conducting any event in containment zones.”

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However, the authority, allowed the public celebration of other festivals preceding Chhath puja such as Ramleela, Durga Puja and Dussehra while subjecting organisers to certain protocols and regulations.

Organisers have to ensure that the number of people in a venue does not exceed seating capacity. There are more conditions concerning crowd size.

“Only sitting on chairs with social distancing norms shall be allowed, in compliance of Covid appropriate behaviour,” the guidelines said.

In closed spaces, total seats cannot exceed 200 or 50% of the actual seating capacity of the premise. For open spaces, the maximum seating capacity will be decided for each venue by the concerned sub-divisional magistrate office after assessment of the location.

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