Administrative preparations complete at 28 sites for Chhath Puja in Hyderabad

Extensive civic arrangements have been made across various areas of the city for the Chhath Puja festival to be celebrated from November 13 to 16, 2026, in Hyderabad. According to a report by The Hindu, people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and parts of West Bengal are preparing for this important festival. This year, a large number of devotees are expected to gather at ponds, kunds and other water bodies in Hyderabad to pray to the setting and rising sun.

In view of these celebrations, the Telangana government has directed civic agencies and the disaster management authority to provide Chhath Puja facilities at 28 locations in the city. These arrangements include basic amenities such as sanitation, lighting, drinking water and crowd management. The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department, through a recent memo, has forwarded the representation of the Bihar Association to the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and three municipal corporations to ensure necessary action through coordination between the relevant departments.

The celebrations in Hyderabad are being organised by the Bihar Association, Hyderabad, and will take place on November 14, 15 and 16. The suggested sites fall within the limits of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC). Key locations include Tank Bund, Husain Sagar (Hasmatepet) Lake, Durgam Cheruvu, Shamirpet, Miyapur and Uppal. The association has proposed celebrations at 28 specific sites in addition to other Bathukamma ghats in and around the city.

Hararam Singh, president of the Bihar Association, stated, "The largest site where heavy crowds are seen is the Bathukamma ghat at Tank Bund, where thousands of devotees gather to celebrate the puja. Many ministers, MLAs and retired as well as serving bureaucrats also participate in the celebrations here." The association has requested civic agencies to clean and maintain the designated ghats and surrounding areas, with a special focus on cleanliness and hygiene.

Chhath Puja is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya. The sun is worshipped as the source of life, energy and nourishment. Devotees pray to the setting and rising sun for the good health, prosperity, happiness and well-being of their families.

It is a four-day festival, with different rituals for each day. The first day is 'Nahay Khay', in which devotees take a ritual bath, clean their homes and prepare traditional food. The second day is 'Kharna', involving a day-long fast which is broken after sunset with jaggery-based kheer, chapati and fruit offerings. Subsequently, devotees observe a rigorous fast without food and water.

The third day is known as 'Sandhya Arghya', where devotees gather at rivers, ponds and other water bodies to pray to the setting sun. Standing in the water, they offer fruits, sugarcane and traditional delicacies. The festival concludes on the fourth day with 'Usha Arghya', when devotees return to the water bodies before sunrise to pray to the rising sun. Devotees break their fast after the completion of these rituals.