Devotees take water from the Ganga home on Sunday to offer arghya from terrace. Picture by Jai Prakash

Patna, Oct. 30: The district administration fell short of its job ahead of the state’s biggest festival but the resourcefulness of residents made up for it.

The administration that was supposed to prepare the city’s 80 ghats for Chhath ended up naming 23 of them, including the Collectorate Ghat, unsafe last Friday. The residents are not bogged down, though. Some of them have brought the river home, err roof.

Apprehensive about the risks waiting for them on the Ganga banks — unsafe ghats and rush of devotees — several residents in Patna City have chosen their terrace to offer arghya (obeisance) to the Sun God. Eight of the unsafe ghats are in Patna City.

Artificial ponds and big utensils have replaced ghats and much of residents’ apprehensions.

Rita Mittal, a resident of Mirchari Gali in Patna City, is more concerned about a safe Chhath. For the first time, she has decided to offer arghya from her terrace — standing on a copper vessel filled with Ganga water. At least five devotees can be accommodated in it.

Rita said: “Going to the ghats will be a problem this year as the district administration has declared eight of them in the Patna City sub-division unsafe for the puja. The remaining ghats will be crowded and it will be quite difficult for me to offer arghya. So, I have decided to celebrate the festival at home. I will offer arghya on the terrace.”

To Rita, spirituality matters more than the spot. She said: “The idea is to pay respect to Chhathi Maiya and I am not ignoring it. I have already brought the Ganga water home. I will pour it in a container and add regular water to it during the puja. The sanctity of the festival will be maintained this way.”

Sarita Gupta, another resident of Patna City, is scared of drowning in the Ganga while offering arghya. So, she too, has chosen to celebrate Chhath on the terrace of her home.

“Accidents occur every year and few devotees drown while offering arghya on the banks of the Ganga. I do not want to risk my life. I do not find any difference in performing the puja at the ghats or on my terrace. Once I mix water from the Ganga in regular water, everything turns sacred,” she said.

Space crunch will also keep some residents away from the ghats. Devotees indulging in fights over space to keep soop and daura are a common sight during Chhath rituals at the ghats.

Taking this fear factor into count, Chanddu Lal, a resident of Kachouri Gali in Patna City, said: “Every year, fights break out at the ghats over space. I do not want the festivities to turn in to mourning. There is nothing wrong in offering arghya from my terrace. Anyway, I will not achieve anything big if I offer arghya at the ghats. My terrace is safe and I will have my own space and peace of mind while celebrating Chhath. The ghats in Patna City are not too safe and the water is dirty. It can lead to several skin diseases. So, it’s better to celebrate the festival on the terrace.”