Bhubaneswar, Feb 16: Over a lakh of devotees took holy dips in Chandrabhaga near konark on the auspicious occasion of Magha Saptami early this morning.

Most of the devotees spent the night on the golden sands. They organised feasts and erected temporary tents to spend the night. Though, ritually devotees take holy dips in the Bay of Bengal, these days they are not allowed to do so for their safety by the administration. Two large ponds were dug for the purpose.

To manage the huge crowd of devotees, around 30 platoon police forces were deployed in Chandrabhaga and nearby areas.

Meanwhile, the famous Khandagiri Mela is all set to begin in Bhubaneswar from today and will continue till February 24.

Saints from across the nation including Naga sadhus from the Himalayas have started arriving at Khandagiri to take part in this unique fair.

Jatra parties (open theatre) are scheduled to present stage shows from February 18. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has directed the Jatra committees and Jatra party owners not to show any type of vulgar dance and nudity.
 

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