Bhubaneswar: Thousands of devotees Wednesday took a holy dip at the Chandrabhaga beach near the famous Konark Sun Temple as part of Magha Saptami celebrations amidst a state-wide shutdown by opposition Congress and BJP.
The day is celebrated as the birthday of the Sun God. The devotees waited at the beach for the sun to appear before taking the dip, after which they offered prayers.
According to mythology, Lord Krishna’s son Samba was cured of leprosy by offering prayer to the Sun God at Chandrabhaga beach. The devotees take a holy dip on the seventh day of the new moon of the month of ‘Magha’ in the belief that this ritual will cleanse them of their sins and rid them of skin diseases.
The police, who made elaborate security arrangement for the festival, said the devotees had a tough time returning to their homes due to the strike. They had to wait for long hours to catch a bus.
The opposition parties have called the bandh to protest against the alleged suicide by a teenager who had claimed that she had been raped by four men in uniform October 10 at Kunduli in Maoist-affected Koraput district.
On the occasion of Magha Saptami, a ‘Kumbha Mela’ was also organised at Khandagiri hills in the state capital.
A large number of monks and followers of various Hindu religious sects from across the country have assembled here for a week-long religious and cultural event.
PTI