Delhi government has declared a public holiday on October 27 for Chhath.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday announced that October 27 will be a government holiday on the occasion of Chhath festival, a CMO statement said.

He said that the Chief Minister said that the holiday is being celebrated on Monday because the third day of this four-day festival is the most important.

On this day, devotees offer Arghya to the setting sun on the banks of rivers or ponds. Preparations start early in the morning, with families performing various rituals. Keeping this in mind, the government has declared October 27 as a public holiday, a statement from the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

Wishing the devotees, Gupta said that Chhath is a festival dedicated to nature, where people worship Sun God and ‘Chhathi Maiya’.

He said that the festival is also a symbol of faith, devotion and cleanliness, giving the message of environmental protection through worship of nature, water and sun.