Konark: Thousands of devotees thronged Chandrabhaga beach at Konark in Odisha’s Puri district today to take a holy dip and offer prayers to the Sun God on the occasion of Magha Saptami.

Every year, pilgrims visit Konark on Magha Shukla Saptami to celebrate the birth of the Sun God. As the Sun transitions to its northern course, devotees assemble before sunrise to bathe in the sacred Chandrabhaga river and the nearby sea after catching a glimpse of the first rays.

According to age-old beliefs, taking a dip on the seventh day of the new moon in the Magha month cleanses sins and cures skin diseases.

Apart from worshipping the Sun God, devotees also offer prayers to Mahadev, making the ‘Magha Mela’ celebrations distinct.

A unique ritual associated with this mela involves offering cooked rice and dried fish dalma (shukhua dalma) to the mythological demon Arkasura, after whom the place is named Arka Kshetra. Devotees then eat the food together on banana leaves, following which the cooking pots are broken and thrown into a pond. As per tradition, the broken pot pieces are believed to disappear mysteriously from the water.