Delhi declares public holiday on 16 November for Chhath Puja; schools expected to close

The Delhi government has declared Monday, 16 November, a public holiday for Chhath Puja. It covers every Delhi government office, as well as the government’s autonomous bodies and its public sector firms, The Times of India reported on 10 November.

Schools in Delhi are expected to stay closed on the day, the paper reported. Parents should check with their children’s schools, since private schools set their own calendars.

Chhath, also called Surya Shashthi, is a festival devoted to the Sun god, celebrated mainly by people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Devotees fast and offer prayers to the setting and rising sun from the banks of rivers and ponds. Delhi has a large population from these States, and thousands gather at ghats along the Yamuna.

Many people from Bihar who live in Delhi travel home for the festival, and the Railways are running special trains.

The Delhi government had not announced its arrangements at the ghats when this story was published.