In photos: An ancient Hindu festival amidst modern-day pollution

Earlier this week, thousands of Hindu men and women observed the Chhath Puja, an ancient festival dedicated to the sun god.

For four days, devotees from northern India and even Nepal fasted, made offerings of sweets and fruits, and immersed themselves in sacred rivers—particularly the Yamuna.

In fact, it’s the festivities around the Yamuna that were the most striking.

One of India’s most sacred rivers, it has turned into one of its most polluted as institutional neglect has allowed industrial effluents and untreated sewage to flow into it over the years. Environmentalists have now labelled it as “ecologically dead.” And though successive state governments have promoted plans to clean up the river, none have delivered as yet.

But for millions, the Yamuna remains a key water source and deeply resonates with their faith. So, for the Chhath Puja, thousands entered its waters covered in toxic foam.

Here are some images of this year’s Chhath Puja, celebrated in the Yamuna river: