Bhubaneswar,(Orissa Today) Feb 4: Thousands of devotees thronged Chandrabhaga beach near Konark in Odisha’s Puri district on Tuesday to take a ritual bath in the sacred pond on the auspicious occasion of Magha Saptami.
Though the Chandrabhaga river has nearly vanished, a portion of its dried bed is excavated annually to create a pond for the holy dip on the seventh day of the first half of the ‘Magha’ month. The festival, known as ‘Magha Mela,’ is uniquely marked by the worship of Mahadev.
As per tradition, representative idols of Triveniswar from Madhipur village, Tshaneswar from Santpur village, and Dakhineswar from Kurujang village were carried in a grand midnight procession on palanquins and worshipped at Konark NAC Mandap, Tehsil Office, and the East Division Post Office Complex. Later, the idols were taken to Chandrabhaga Teerth Mandap in the early hours, where traditional rituals were performed.
Following the holy dip, devotees offered prayers at the Nabagraha temple within the Sun Temple premises. It is believed that bathing in the sacred waters on this day can cure skin ailments and absolve sins. According to legend, Lord Krishna’s son Shamba was cured of leprosy after meditating and worshipping the Sun God at ‘Arka Kshetra’ for 12 days, following a ritual bath in the Chandrabhaga river, which once flowed past the Sun Temple before meeting the Bay of Bengal.
Thousands gather for holy dip at Chandrabhaga beach on Magha Saptami
