A Mango-based religious outfit, Baba Baijnath Seva Sangh, will be distributing Chhath Puja items free of cost among the devotees. Fruits and other puja paraphernalia would be delivered at the doorstep of devotees who are also referred to as Chhath vratis in properly sanitized cotton bags.

“We are making arrangements for distributing Chhath Puja items in over 5,000 households in Mango and its adjoining areas. We are doing this because of the pandemic. The fruits and other items would be properly sanitized before they are delivered to the doorstep of devotees,” said Vikas Singh, a senior functionary of Baba Baijnath Seva Sangh on Monday.

The outfit also organizes a free trip for devotees to Deoghar from steel city during the holy month of Shravan.

On Monday, the religious outfit issued two contact numbers – 8540986994 and 9334141644 – where devotees can call for getting Chhath Puja items.

This year Chhath will be celebrated on November 20 and 21. The outfit will distribute the puja items on November 19.

Meanwhile, the residents have started making arrangements for celebrating the festival on the rooftop and courtyard of their homes as the state disaster management on Sunday midnight issued a communique debarring devotees from celebrating Chhath on river ghats, ponds, lakes and other water bodies due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The directive also banned any kind of stalls to be set up near water bodies and prohibited individuals from earmarking space near water bodies.