Gaiety, fervour mark Ganga Saptami

Tribune News Service

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Haridwar, April 25

The festival of Ganga Saptami, also known as Ganga Pujan or Ganga Jayanti, was celebrated with gaiety and fervour in Haridwar on Saturday.

It is believed that on this day, holy mother Ganga descended onto the earth, unfurling from the matted locks of Lord Shiva from Gangotri Himalayas, after ‘tapasya’ done by Bhagirath.

It is also mentioned in numerous Hindu scriptures, including ‘Padma Purana’ and ‘Narada Purana’, that the holy Ganga descended onto the earth on the seventh day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) in the Vaisakh month of Hindu calendar.

From wee hours of the morning itself, devotees thronged the sanctum sanctorum of Brahma Kund, Har-ki-Pauri and adjacent Ganga ghats to take holy Ganga dip and observe rituals.

Thereafter, people visited deity Ganga temples at Har-ki-Pauri and other revered shrines such as those devoted to Mata Mansa Devi, Mata Chandi Devi, Maya Devi, Dakshin Kali Peethadeeshwar shrine, Mata Vaishno Devi, Daksheswar Mahadev temple, Kankhal, Sati Kund, Kankhal, Makar Vahini Ganga temple and other shrines located in the city.

Devotees worshipped Goddess Ganga, offered rituals, took part in ‘Ganga Aarti’ held at several Ganga ghats and Ganga royal processions were taken out by Teerth Purohit community.

Special offerings of ‘Deepadaans’ were made by pilgrims at Ganga Ghats.

As per district police headquarter office, elaborate arrangements were put in place for the Ganga Saptami festive bath.

Police personnel of Haridwar district were roped in for the Ganga Saptami festive bath fair duty.

SSP Haridwar Sweety Aggarwal had deployed traffic police personnel, sniffer squad, bomb disposal squad, cavalry squad, intelligence sleuths and Jal Police personnel for the mela duty.