By Our Correspondent
PURI: Tens of thousands of devotees from across the Country were on Sunday gathered at the pilgrimage city of Puri in Odisha to witness the Gaja Uddharana Besa of Lord Jagannath and his Siblings.
The special occasion falls on holy Magha Purnima. This Besha depicts an epic story as to how Lord Bishnu saved a helpless elephant from the clutches of a crocodile.
On the full moon day of Magha (January-February), the Gaja Uddharana Besa of the deities is done.Gaja Uddharana Besha – The famous Gaja Uddharana Besha is done on Magha Purnima tithi (the fullmoon day of Magha). Special arrangements have been made for conducting rituals of deities at the Jagannath Temple.
Magha Purnima is celebrated on the eve of full moon day in the Hindu month of Magha. According to the Gregorian calendar, the day falls either in the month of February or January.
Devotees took a holy dip in river Ganga on the auspicious occasion of Maghi Purnima. They took holy dip in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on February 09. Maghi Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of ‘Magha’ as per Hindu calendar.
The devotees worship Moon God on this particular day. The month of Magha is the most auspicious, fortunate and significant month according to the Hindu scriptures for performing donations and other daan-punya activities. On the eve of Magha Purnima, devotees observe a fast, perform a holy bath and worship and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu.
It is believed that, on the eve of Magha Purnima, performing a bath in the holy river is considered as highly auspicious. By doing charities and making donations on this day, one gets relieved from all his present and past sins. Deity Vishnu and Lord Hanuman are worshipped on the day of Magha Purnima. It is believed that all the desires of the devotees who offer prayers to these deities on this day are fulfilled.
