Puri: Thousands of devotees are likely to take a ritual bath in the holy pond at Chandrabhaga in Odisha’s Puri district and offer prayers to the Sun God on the auspicious occasion of Magha Saptami on Tuesday.
As a large number of devotees are expected to gather at Chandrabhaga for the holy dip, elaborate security arrangements have been made by the Puri Police to ensure smooth conduct of the festival.
As per sources, around 33 platoons of police force will be deployed for the holy dip on the occasion of Magha Saptami on February 4.
Six Additional Superintendent of Police, 13 Deputy SP, 39 Inspectors have been assigned the responsibility to maintain the law and order. Life guards will also be deployed in the places of the dips and near the beach, said a senior police official.
On the seventh day of the first half of the ‘Magha’ month, pilgrims take the dip with the age-old belief that a bath in the pond would cleanse them of skin diseases and wash away their sins. Legends have it that Lord Krishna’s son Shamba was cured of leprosy when he meditated and worshipped the Sun God for 12 after a holy dip at the Chandrabhaga river, which once flowed through the precincts of the Sun Temple at Konark towards the Bay of Bengal.
After the holy dip, the pilgrims offer prayers at Nabagraha temple on the Sun Temple premises. Around 30 platoon police forces have been deployed at Konark to manage the crowd. The visitors to Sun Temple will not be charged an entry fee, sources said.
The Puri Police also issued a detailed traffic advisory to ensure smooth movement of vehicles during Magha Saptami. For smooth traffic movement and for public convenience, following advisory has been issued in public interest:
