Varanasi, January 31: Devotees thronged to take a holy dip in river Ganga in Varanasi on the occasion of Magha Purnima on Wednesday. Magha Purnima is known to be a day of the full moon that occurs during the Hindu calendar month of Magh and is the last and most important day of the Magha Maas.  The day is greatly revered by Hindu devotees especially the worshippers of Lord Vishnu. In the Gregorian calendar, this day falls in the month of January or February.  Magh Purnima mahurat will begin on January 30, 2018, at 10.22 PM and end on January 31, 2018, at 06.56 PM.

The auspicious Kumbh Mela is held every twelve years during this time, and the Magha Mela is held on an annual basis at the confluence of three rivers or Triveni Sangam all around north India.  On this occasion, people perform certain rituals like holy bath, offering alms, donating cow and Homa at Prayag, the confluence point of the river Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

Devotees perform the ritualistic bath at the Triveni Sangam in Prayag. The occasion is celebrated across the nation with great zeal and enthusiasm. The festival is celebrated in southern India in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu on this day the spectacular ‘float’ festival is held wherein beautifully decorated idols of Meenakshi and Lord Sundeshwara are mounted on floats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2018 10:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).