Hindu devotees bathe in India's Yamuna river at the start of Chhath Puja

Hindu devotees took a ritual dip in Yamuna river on Saturday to mark the first day of Chhath Puja, a four-day festival dedicated to the sun god Surya.

Eiti Tiwari, Hindu devotee   said We Indians, we worship rivers and natures in their form, whatever it is, and that's why the inheritance and also the format of the puja is [with the Yamuna river] — that's why people don't [get] scared and they are more connected to the God. So God will save us and he will protect us."

Chhath Puja, observed primarily in northern India, involves offering prayers to the sun at sunrise and sunset, with devotees often standing in rivers or water bodies for hours. The festival draws thousands to the Yamuna each year, highlighting both cultural devotion and the ongoing environmental challenges facing the river.