Patna, Oct 23 : For the safety of devotees, authorities here have banned private boats from the Ganga during the festival of Chhath, officials said Friday.

The popular four-day festival began Thursday. Millions of Hindu devotees prayed to the sun god across the state. Hundreds of devotees, mainly married women, thronged the river banks early morning to bathe before preparing vegetarian food. Many sang traditional songs dedicated to the sun god.

Chhath is celebrated six days after Diwali and is associated with faith, purity and devotion to the sun god.

A day after authorities in Patna urged Hindu devotees to avoid unsafe ghats during Chhath, the state government banned private boats in the Ganga during the festival. Most of the 80 ghats here have been declared dangerous.

"As a precautionary measure, the administration issued orders that banned plying of private boats during Chhath on Oct 24 and 25," an official said.

In the past several people have drowned during Chhath.

According to official sources, boats carrying policemen including NDRF (national disaster response force) teams and divers would ply during the festival.

On Saturday the main offerings, Argya, will be given to the setting sun on the river banks followed by offerings to the rising sun Sunday morning.

During the festival, married women fast for 36 hours and devotees traditionally offer wheat, milk, sugarcane, bananas and coconuts to the sun.

Colourful idols of the sun god riding his chariot with seven horses, a new attraction this year, were sold on the river banks.

The administration along with dozens of voluntary organisations is working round the clock to clean residential localities and roads leading to the river banks and water bodies.

"All district magistrates have been directed to accord top priority to the safety of devotees by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar," an official said. (IANS)