Administration gears up for peaceful Chhath in Bhagalpur, Nalanda

BHAGALPUR/BIHARSHARIF: Authorities across the state were burning the midnight oil to ensure foolproof arrangements for the four-day long Chhath festival beginning with Nahai-Khai on Sunday.
At Bhagalpur, the focus of district administration and Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been on restoring the Ganga ghats besides cleaning the embankments for Chhath festivities in which hygiene and sanctity play extremely important roles for the devotees.
Apart from cleaning the ghats, efforts were underway to make the marshy embankments dry, hard and plain, so that the devotees don’t have problems. Sand bags are being put to make the ghats firm in view of huge turnout of devotees for the ‘arghya’ (offering prayer to Sun God) for two consecutive days.
The major Ganga ghats marked for cleanliness and restoration included Manik Sarkar, S M College, Barari Hanuman Ghat, Mushari Ghat and Pul Ghat.
Bhagalpur administration has also made heavy security arrangements for Chhath puja. Apart from deploying security forces at strategic locations and mobile patrol on roads leading to the ghats, a team of divers will be kept ready near the embankments. Arrangements have been made to patrol the ghats by motorboats for the safety of devotees.
Bhagalpur mayor Sima Saha said cleanliness and sanitation at the ghats and roads would be taken on priority basis after the immersion of Goddess Kali idols tonight. “Street lights will also be put up on the roads and ghats,” she added.
In Nalanda, more than 100 Chhath ghats have been readied. Nalanda DM Thiyagarajan SM and SP Sudhir Kumar Porika visited Badgaon, Ongari, Mani Ram Akhara Ghat and other important Chhath ghats in the district on Saturday. They said proper arrangements for lights, barricading, life boats, rescue teams, deployment of magistrates and police personnel have already been made.
The Nalanda DM said special emphasis has been given on the foolproof security at Badgaon (near the ruins of Nalanda University) and Ongari (on Biharsharif-Ekangarsarai road), where over two lakh devotees are expected to visit for the four-day Chhath rituals.
According to Pandit Shailesh Pandey, a priest and secretary of Badgaon Sun Temple management committee, “Badgaon and Ongari Sun temples are among the oldest Sun temples across Bihar. The pond attached to the temple is blessed as a dip in it during Chhath is very beneficial for skin diseases.”
DM Thiyagarajan said a number of big tents have been put up at Badgaon and Ongari for the devotees.
Pandit Jitendra Pandey said local men and women remain engaged for months in the preparations as the visitors stay there at least for three days and purchase puja items and other things from the village only. He said Badgaon festival boosts the local economy.
Harihar Prasad from Danapur in Patna district on Saturday complained that the rate of every item being sold in the village was very high.