Haridwar: Devotees from all over India celebrate Ganga Saptmi at Har ki Pauri

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], May 14 (ANI): On the auspicious occasion of Ganga Saptami, devotees from different parts of the country took a holy dip at the ‘Har Ki Pauri’ in Haridwar.

On the occasion of Ganga Saptmi, which is also the day of the incarnation of Ganga on earth, the enthusiasm of tourists arriving here from different states is clearly visible at ‘Har Ki Pauri’.

Devotees were spotted chanting hymns, mantras and slogans of ‘Gange maiya ki jai’. They offered ‘argh’, sweets, flowers and fruits while taking a holy dip in the Ganga.

Some devotees participated in the Ganga arti and then offered prayers at temples.

“We have come from Karnataka with our whole family to celebrate Ganga Saptmi, as this is the day when Ganga descended on earth, it’s a day for boons. We took holy baths and offered milk, argh, flowers, fruits and prasads to Ganga Maa and participated in the Ganga arti. We felt very good,” Yethiraj Dharak said.

Another devotee conveyed how auspicious the day is and how performing the right rituals can bring peace and moksha.

He said, “From mountains, Ganga had come to lands for humans. One should definitely take a holy dip in Ganga as one can attain salvation and peace from it. Our family has come from Karnataka to worship the holy Ganga and after that, we will head towards Char Dham Yatra.”

The Char Dham Yatra, or pilgrimage, is a tour of four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. In Hindi, ‘char’ means four and ‘dham’ refers to religious destinations, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website. While commencing Char Dham Yatra, devotees often visit Haridwar, as it is one of the holy cities in the nation.