UP: Chhath at artificial pond to protect Gomti

LUCKNOW: Save the river and it will save you, they say. A bunch of Chhath devotees, led by a 55-year-old homemaker, has made this maxim their life’s motto.


So, while lakhs of people will swamp various banks of Gomti on Saturday to offer arghya to the setting sun, 30-odd residents of Manas Nagar in Krishnanagar will pray at an artificial pond on Vimla Singh’s front porch.

Every year since 2007, Singh’s lush green lawn transforms into a big, brick tub in the run-up to the fourday festival to allow the faithful to stand in knee-deep water and pay obeisance to the sun god during sandhya (evening) and bihaniya (morning) arghya.

“The Gomti is already choking on domestic and industrial waste. We do not wish to pollute the lifeline river any further. Our artificial pond is a viable and environment-friendly alternative. It is safer for devotees too,” Singh told TOI.

AChhath vrati (fasting devotee) for a quarter of a century, the mother of two children decided to bend rules 12 years ago after she was “deeply pained” by the state of the river. She not just ended the custom of ghat rituals for herself, but also urged friends and relatives to do the same.

“After marriage, I began visiting Lakshman Mela ghat of Gomti to perform Chhath rituals. At the time, both awareness and administrative preparedness were minimum, which translated into unclean ghats and stagnant water. Dogs and pigs also loitered around. Slowly and steadily, my family and I decided to host rituals at home,” she said.

In 2007, Singh and five other vratis began performing Chhath Puja in her lawn pond. Today, more than 30 devotees gather at her place. They make clay vedis (seat of worship), light earthen lamps and sing devotional songs.

“There is no digging involved. The brick structure is raised on the lawn every year and filled with water from tanks. It is dismantled after the festivities. The number of participants is increasing every year,” Singh added.

Anshu Singh, a green devotee, agreed that pollutants were reducing Gomti’s dissolved oxygen level. “Traditionally, Chhath rituals are performed on the riverbank. But, as diligent citizens, we must do our bit for river conservation,” she said.

Chhath vrati Arti Jha went a step ahead to say the authorities must consider banning rituals at ghats and instead make artificial ponds for devotees. “Crowd management will be easy while the river and devotees will stay safe,” she said.