In Pics: Chhath puja amid toxic foams on Yamuna bank

Thousands of women gathered on the banks of Yamuna in Delhi on Saturday to perform Chhath Puja rituals.

New Delhi, Nov 03: It was a horrifying sight to see women offer prayers standing in the toxic foam of Yamuna river bank. The Chhath Puja ritual involves taking dips in rivers, standing and offering prayers in water, facing the sun, offering 'Prasad' to the sun at sunrise and sunset and many other rigorous rituals. It is basically thanking the Sun God over a period of four days.

Thousands of women gathered on the banks of Yamuna in Delhi on Saturday to perform Chhath Puja rituals. What they found was toxic foam floating on the river surface. But that did not deter them from walking into the water and they went ahead with Puja rituals surrounded by toxic foam which was knee-high, waist-high in some places. For most women, naive and unaware of the health risk that polluted river poses, the ritual is everything. It had to be performed at any cost. But then in Delhi, everyone is at risk, where can the national capital residents escape. The poison is in the air they breathe.

Here are the photos of Chhath Pooja being performed amid toxic foam on Yamuna surface:

Devotees offering prayers surrounded by toxic foam

Devotees offer prayers to the rising sun as toxic foam floats on the surface of polluted Yamuna river during Chhath Puja celebrations, at Kalindi Kunj.

Women brave hazardous pollution to offer prayer

Braving hazardous pollution and rain, thousands of women devotees paid obeisance to the rising sun on Sunday morning along the ghats on the Yamuna banks.

Obeisance to rising sun

Women pray to rising sun surrounded by deadly toxic foam.For most women, naive and unaware of the health risk that polluted river poses, the ritual was everything. They will perform it at any cost.

Delhi govt haad set up over 1,100 ghats along Yamuna

The chief minister in a series of tweets said it was a matter of pride that the Chhath festival was celebrated on such a large scale in Delhi.The Delhi government had set up over 1,100 ghats along the river Yamuna.

Prayers for health and prosperity

CM Kejriwal said in a tweet "May Chhath Maiya fulfil wishes of all, and bless them with health and prosperity".