Devotees camp on Chandrabhaga beach near Konark Sun temple on Magh Saptami. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 6: About 3.5 lakh devotees thronged Chandrabhaga beach to take part in the holy Magh Saptami Mela near the Konark Sun temple this morning.

According to legend, Lord Krishna’s son Shamba worshipped the Sun God for 12 years to get his skin disease cured at Chandrabhaga.

The devotees have been congregated here since last evening. They listened to devotional songs (bhajans) and enjoyed traditional folk dances from various corners of the state on the beach. At night, the deities — Tribeniswara, Isaneswara and Dakshineswara — from the nearby villages, were brought to the beach on vimana or palanquins. It is believed that Lord Shiva accompanies the deities to the beach.

Puri tourist officer Bijay Jena said: “The district administration did all security arrangements for the devotees as it was anticipating more people to take the holy dip. The visibility of the Sun was delayed because of the dense fog. But at 7.25 am, the crowd danced in joy over the sight of the Sun rays on the eastern horizon.’’

Puri district administration deployed 35 platoons of police and 200 officers on duty for the security and safety of the pilgrims. Besides cultural and devotional shows, a missing persons’ counter was also opened to help the public.

Traditionally, people coming from the nearby localities cook there on the beach with new earthen pots. After the ritual, they break the pots before leaving the spot.

Once the holy dip was over and blessings from the God were sought, devotees either visited the Sun temple at Konark or proceeded towards the Jagannath temple in Puri.

Khandagiri Mela

The famous Magh Saptami Mela at Khandagiri started today. Despite the traditional fervour and the underlying spiritual atmosphere, the major attraction of the fair remained the colourful opera houses with screaming posters advertising their new drama.

The fair will continue till February 15. Civic body’s licensing officer Srimant Mishra said: “We have allotted 323 kiosks to vendors as people from various walks of life come here to purchase household goods made of wood, bamboo, coir, stone and small handicrafts.”