Gorakhpur, Oct. 26 -- The festival of Chhath began here on Saturday with the ritual of 'Nahay Khay'. Celebrated with deep devotion across Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Nepal, the festival honours the Sun God (Surya) and Goddess Chhathi Maiyya. Ghats along major rivers, including the Rapti, Rohini, Ghaghara, and Gandak, have been decorated to welcome devotees for the upcoming Kharna rituals on Sunday. In Gorakhpur, special arrangements have been made at prominent locations such as Goraksh Ghat, Ram Ghat, Takiya Ghat, Domingarh, and Surajkund Dham, where over six lakh devotees are expected to perform rituals. Municipal commissioner Gaurav Singh Sogarwal informed that 110 temporary ponds have been constructed across all 80 wards of the municipal corporation. All ghats have been equipped with lighting, bio-toilets, and changing rooms to ensure convenience for devotees. Mayor Dr Manglesh Srivastava stated that teams of medical officials and sanitation workers have been deployed at major ghats. He also appealed to devotees to maintain cleanliness and help ensure a "zero-waste" celebration. SSP Raj Karan Nayar inspected arrangements at Ram Ghat and Surajkund Dham on Saturday and directed police personnel to remain on high alert. In Deoria, district magistrate Dibya Mittal directed officials to ensure enough water in ponds and canals for devotees. Across riverbanks, women decorated their bedis and reserved spots for arghya. Markets buzzed with shoppers buying soops, dauras, sugarcane, and fruits at Asuran Chowk, Rapti Nagar, Ghantaghar, Mohaddipur, and Dharamshala Bazar....