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.
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.
Several Naga Sadhus in the transit camp drew attention as they travelled thousands of kilometers to take a holy dip in Gangasagar on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
After two years of the COVID pandemic, the Gangasagar Mela 2023 is being organised in West Bengal from January 8 to January 17 around the time of the Makar Sankranti festival. The pilgrims have already started pouring for the festival and take a holy dip in the Ganga river.
Devotees started gathering at Ram Ghat in large numbers in the early morning and took holy dips in the holy Kshipra river. This was followed by pujas and rituals organized by priests and attended by devotees during the lunar eclipse period on Tuesday.