Pictures of thousands of devotees in Delhi offering Chhath prayers standing knee-deep in toxic foam in Yamuna river has not only shocked the national capital but the entire world.
Engulfed in heavy smog, as the Chhath devotees over the weekend walked into the white froth, one could have almost mistaken it for a snowy lake, but it was actually industrial toxin-laced water where many devotees were forced to offer prayers during their puja to the sun god, who was almost invisible anyway due to the heavy pollution.
The photos come at a time when Delhi and its adjoining NCR region is grappling with unprecedented PM 2.5 levels and the Delhi government had to issue a health advisory and asking people to "remain indoors".
