Chandigarh, October 27, 2025: Former Chandigarh Municipal Corporation councilor Shakti Prakash Devshali has written to Administrator Mr. Gulab Chand Kataria, demanding a public holiday in Chandigarh on the auspicious occasion of Chhath Puja. The letter states that this year, the Chhath festival will begin with offerings to the setting sun on the evening of October 27th and conclude with offerings to the rising sun on the morning of October 28th.

Devshali stated that Chhath Puja is a major festival dedicated to the worship of Lord Surya, celebrated with great devotion and faith by people in many states of the country, including Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Chandigarh, known as a "mini-India," also celebrates the festival with great enthusiasm. People from Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh living here perform mass pujas on river banks and water bodies, which are attended by a large number of people.

Devshali urged the Administrator to have the Chandigarh Administration declare October 28, 2025 (Chhath Puja) a public holiday so that devotees can celebrate this important festival with devotion and enthusiasm as per their traditional customs and traditions, and people from all communities can participate in it.