Chhath Puja festivities started on a feverish note on Tuesday with roads leading to the ghats of the Brahmaputra choked with vehicles.

Private cars, auto vans and pick-up trucks carried devotees, dressed in their finery and carrying fruits and other offerings for the Sun god. The devotees headed for the ghats since afternoon to find a place to perform puja.

As the crowd on the riverfront swelled to thousands, security personnel and volunteers had a tough time controlling them. Barriers were set up a few feet into the river water to avert any mishap because of the strong current of the Brahmaputra.

Devotees performed puja at sunset and prayed for their families’ well-being as they believe that all wishes are fulfilled by the Sun god on this day.

Chief minister Sarbanada Sonowal visited the puja venue accompanied by water resources minister Keshab Mahanta.

Bihar’s minister for rural development and parliamentary affairs Shravan Kumar was there as special guest.

Programmes were held in the evening. The Kamrup (metro) district administration allowed cultural events till 10pm.

Singers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand performed puja and later belted out devotional songs.

Popular singers such as Arvind Akela, Ranjit Bihari, Antara Singh, Priyanka and her group, Nisha Dubey, Ranjit Yadav besides folk singers Manisha Srivastav and Mahendra Gour enchanted the devotees.

Apart from the stretch from Panbazar to Bharalumukh, Chhath festivities and cultural events were organised at the city’s other ghats in Maligaon, Pandu, Basistha, Noonmati and Sunsali.

Chhath Puja was also celebrated with pomp and gaiety at Silapathar in Dhemaji district, Lakhimpur and Majuli districts in Assam.

Silapathar Chhath Puja secretary Mukesh Gupta said the number of devotees is increasing every year, as a result of which problems are on the rise.

Dhemaji superintendent of police N. Sarwakare and other local dignitaries attended the first day of puja.

Devotees from various communities and walks of life were seen performing puja at three different locations in Silapathar.

Reports of Chhath Puja celebrations were also received from East Siang, West Siang, Upper Siang, Lower Siang and Upper Subansiri districts in Arunachal Pradesh.

Additional reporting by Vinod Kr Singh in Dhemaji