Konark: Thousands of devotees and saints took holy dips at the holy tank of Chandrabhaga, had their bath at Chandrabhaga sea and then worshipped the Sun God on the Chandrabhaga beach in Puri district on the occasion of Magha Shukla Saptami or Magha Saptami in the wee hours of Saturday.
After offering prayers to the Sun god, the devotees and saints thronged at the ‘Navagraha peeth’ inside Konark Temple to offer prayers. Since entry fee had been waived Saturday, devotees in good numbers were seen inside the temple premises.
The festival is celebrated on the seventh day of the Hindu month of Magha. On this day, the Sun god is worshipped. According to legend, Shamba, son of Lord Krishna, was cured of leprosy by offering prayer to the Sun God at the Chandrabhaga beach on this day. So it is believed that a holy dip in the Chandrabhaga sea will cure all sorts of skin problems.
Considering the massive congregation of devotees this year, the district administration had made ample arrangements for the smooth and safe practice of rituals with the deployment of police forces and lifeguards.
PNN