Hyderabad/Gorakhpur/Lucknow, Jan 15: Lakhs of devotees took a bracing dip in the Ganga and thronged temples to offer prayers, colourful rangolis adorned houses and multi-hued kites dotted the skies as people across the length and breadth of the country celebrated Makar Sankranti on Sunday.
In a gift to the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on the occasion of the festival dedicated to the Sun God, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the eighth Vande Bharat Express between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam.
Over 20 lakh devotees took a dip in the holy waters of the Ganga and the Sangam till 4 pm at the ongoing Magh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, according to authorities.
In Gorakhpur, all roads led to the Gorakhnath temple where devotees started queuing up since 4 am to offer ‘khichdi’, made from a mix of lentils and rice, to Shiva avatar Guru Gorakhnath.
The sanctum sanctorum of the temple was thrown open to the public after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is also the Mahant of Gorakshpeeth, performed rituals in the morning.
Prime Minister Modi took to Twitter to greet people on the occasion of Pongal, Magh Bihu and Makar Sankranti.
“Best wishes on Magh Bihu. I hope this festival deepens our bond with nature and furthers the atmosphere of joy,” he said.
“Pongal greetings to everyone, particularly the Tamil people worldwide. May this festival bring happiness and wonderful health in our lives,” he said.
While ‘Magh Bihu’ is when the annual harvest takes place, Pongal is a four-day harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God.
During the Vande Bharat Express flagging off ceremony, Modi said the new train will connect the cultures of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
“Vande Bharat is a true replica of India which is coming out of the mentality of dependence and moving towards self-reliance,” he said.
“Vande Bharat is a symbol of New India’s capability and resolve. It is a symbol of that India which has chosen the path of rapid development,” he added.
The train will cover a distance of around 700 km between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam in eight hours and 30 minutes.
The prime minister said the seven Vande Bharat trains launched earlier have covered a cumulative distance of 23 lakh kilometres, equivalent to 58 rounds of the Earth. More than 40 lakh passengers have travelled in Vande Bharat trains so far.
The festival of ‘Sankranti’ is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for three days — ‘Bhogi’, ‘Sankranti’ and ‘Kanuma’. ‘Sankranti’ is the main festival, followed by ‘Kanuma’ when cattle are worshipped.
In Telangana, people drew colourful ‘Muggus’ (rangolis) outside their houses and visited temples to offer prayers.
Thousands of people travelled from Hyderabad to their native places, including neighbouring states, to celebrate the festival. The Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway witnessed heavy traffic.
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other leaders extended their greetings to the people. (PTI)
