Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Ara Collectorate Pond, where thousands of devotees perform Chhath Puja every year, is perhaps the only pond in Bihar where places of worship for the Muslims, Christians and the Hindus are located on its three corners.
The Ara Collectorate Pond was constructed during British Rule for boating. They also constructed a Church on the Southern side of the pond for the one day prayer of King George V on his way to New Delhi to attend the ‘Delhi Darbar’ in 1911. A Mosque was also built on the North-Eastern side of the pond. After independence, a Sun Temple was built on the West-North side of the pond in 1982.
At the pond, thousands of people perform Chhath puja twice a year. Even some Muslim families perform Chhath. The people spruce up the ghats at the pond and clean the water in it. The pond is decorated with lights and pandals. Some social organizations set up stalls around the pond and distribute milk for oblation, first aid and other facilities are also provided free of cost.
But at present, this historical pond is neglected due to apathetic attitude of the district administration. Though stairs are built with the fund provided by the MLA, the district administration never bothers to maintain the pond. This year, the pond has practically dried up and filled with insects and worms, rued Rajendra Ojha, a resident of the area.
Mayor, Ara Municipal Corporationn (AMC), Priyam Devi recently visited the Collectorate Pond and directed the officials to clean up all the ghats in Ara at the earliest to enable the devotees could perform Chhath.