Bhopal | Lakhs of devotees took a holy dip in the Narmada, Shipra and other prominent rivers in Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on Wednesday.
The number of devotees is comparatively less this year, as several people have gone to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh for holy bath in the river Ganga during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, Narmadapuram tehsildar Devshankar Dhurve said.
The Triveni Sangam -- confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati -- is considered the holiest by Hindus, with a belief that taking a dip in it during Maha Kumbh and particularly on special bathing dates like Mauni Amavasya washes away people's sins and provides them 'moksha' or salvation.
In Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram, more than 25,000 devotees gathered at various ghats of the Narmada river and took the holy dip in the wee hours, Dhurve said.
A large number of people also took a holy dip in the Narmada river at Omkareshwar, one of the jyotirlingas, in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district.
Pandit Omprakash Nagar, a priest in Omkareshwar, claimed more than 25,000 devotees bathed in the river in the morning.
More than 15,000 persons offered prayers at the Omkareshwar jyotirlinga since morning, he said.
In Ujjain, devotees started gathering since the wee hours at various places, including Ram Ghat and Mangalnath Ghat, for the holy dip in the Shipra river, Collector Neeraj Singh said.
Security arrangements were in place, and volunteers and boats were deployed at the places where devotees were taking bath, he said.
There was no report of crowds at these places, he said, adding that all security protocols were being followed.
At Multai in Betul district, more than 1,000 persons reached to take bath at the origin of the Tapti river, a local temple priest Manoj Sharma said.
Thousands of devotees also took a holy dip at Naavghat Khedi of the Narmada river at Barwah in Khargone district, local temple priest Acharya Girjashankar Atre said.
People offered "tarpan", a ritualistic homage performed for the souls of departed ancestors, he added.