Due to river pollution, many health issues have arisen, especially for the devotees who start their day with holy baths in the river, the locals alleged.
Police have made special traffic arrangements in Vrindavan from the evening of January 25 in view of the large number of devotees expected to come for the Thakur Shri Banke Bihari ji on the occasion of Basant Panchami here on January 26
Thousands of devotees were seen taking a dip in the holy Ganga on the ghats of Varanasi. They were also seen offering prayers to Goddess Lakshmi, Ganesh and the Sun and remembered their ancestors and the departed souls of the family.
Against the expanse of blue sky, thousands of devotees, submerged in the holy Ganga and taking a dip in an uneven manner, with chants of Har Har Mahadev, became a trademark of the biggest fair in the Eastern part of India-- Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal.
Around two lakhs of devotees participated in the last day 'Yatra Mahotsav' which concluded on Sunday in Maharashtra's Buldhana district. The Yatra was organised on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary on January 12 which ended today.
One person was killed while nine others were injured during the stampede that happened when the devotees were going to seek blessings at the 7th-century-old Singhanath Temple in Baramba during Makar Mela.
Makar Sankranti is a festival in the Hindu calendar, in which devotees make offerings to the deity Surya. The day marks the first day of the sun's transit into the Makara, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.