A large number of people thronged the ghats of Ganga to take holy dip on the auspicious occasion of Magh Purnima on Wednesday. The lunar eclipse from 5.30 pm till 9.40 pm added to the importance of the day. Those well-versed in the Hindu scriptures say that the month of Magh is regarded as spiritually the most pious period according to the Hindu tradition and Magh Purnima or Maha Maghi as it is called, marks the end of the month. “This is the reason why the holy dip on this day assumes particular significance,” says a scholar who adds that while every full moon or ‘Purnima’ is dear to Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the cosmos, Magh Purnima is dearest to Him. The holy dips undertaken on the occasion are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, he further says.
The temples in the holy city were closed during the day on Wednesday since the commencement of ‘Sutak’ period. They were closed at 9.2 am instant much before the lunar eclipse started. The believers refrained from taking food from 1 pm to 9.40 pm-the time the eclipse ended. “It is best to have lunch before 12.30 pm and dinner after 9.40 pm,” said a Yogacharya from Patanjali Yog Peeth, Sachin Tyagi.
At this time, the sun is in the zodiac sign of Capricorn and the moon is in the Cancer constellation. “So offering prayers on the day is believed to end problems related to the sun and the moon. Anatomically speaking, the human body starts adapting itself to the change of season that is taking place with the slow exit of the winter,” Tyagi said.
A priest Pradeep Joshi said, “It is believed that during the month of Magh, Lord Vishnu resides in Ksheer Sagar and Ganga is believed to be a miniature form of Ksheer Sagar.
So taking a dip in the holy river rids a person of the gravitating effect of his Karma while pushing him up towards salvation.”