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A large number of devotees thronged the Prayag Ghat in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi and took a holy dip in the river Ganga on Sunday morning on the occasion of Magh Purnima, the full moon night in the Magha month of the Hindu calendar.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended greetings on the occasion. "On the auspicious occasion of 'Magh Purnima', heartiest greetings to all the people of the state and the respected saints, devotees and Kalpavasis who came to take bath in Prayagraj Magh Mela," CM Yogi tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi). On this occasion, the devotees take a holy dip into Ganga, meditate and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu. The devotees, after taking the dip, visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and bow their heads. Lakhs of people take a holy dip into Ganga on the day of the full moon. Kalpavas, which lasts for 1 month from Paush Purnima, also ends today. Kalpavas is a spiritual ritual under which for a month the Kalpavasi sleeps on the ground on the sand of Sangam, takes meal once a day, observes austerity and chants the name of the Almighty. Speaking on ANI at Prayag Ghat in Varanasi, Savitri Pandey, a devotee said, "A dip into the Ganga is considered holy today. People dip into the Ganga for themselves as well as for their ancestors. Moon and Lord Vishnu are prayed, and people do fasting today." Another devotee, Anil Pandey, said that the people are blessed by the Ganga upon taking dip into the river. Magh Purnima is celebrated around the months of January and February and Lord Vishnu is worshipped during this time. (ANI)
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