Shimla/Manali, Jan 14 (IANS): Devotees across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday took a dip in rivers braving cold weather to mark the auspicious Makar Sankranti festival.

A huge gathering was seen at Tattapani, around 52 km from the state capital, and Manikaran, home to a Sikh shrine in Kullu district, for a holy dip in the Sutlej and Parvati rivers, respectively. Both Tattapani and Manikaran, known for hot springs with high sulphur concentration, witnessed a majority of devotees mainly from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.

“Like in previous years, this time too we are expecting over 20,000 devotees on Makar Sankranti,” a priest at Tattapani told IANS over the phone.

Likewise, the devotees took a holy bath in the Vashist temple, located on the outskirts of the popular tourist resort Manali. The temple is situated on the left bank of the Beas River, also known for its hot springs.

Makar Sankranti, a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of the country, also marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights.

Holding community kitchens to mark the occasions is common among the people. The natural and prominent hot springs, which disappeared after the construction of the 800 MW Koldam hydroelectric power project executed by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) along the Satluj in Tattapani, have been restored.

Shimla-based Durga Devi Bihari Lal Brochan Lal Charitable Trust has been holding the traditional ‘khichdi bhandara’ on Makar Sankranti at Tattapani for 96 years.

“The ‘khichdi bhandara’ is a humble offering to the community, where everyone comes together as one family to share a warm ‘khichdi with ghee’,” said trust chairman Ramesh Chand Sood.

In 2020, the ‘khichdi’, weighing 1,995 kg, was prepared jointly by the state Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation and the trust in a single utensil to mark Makar Sankranti and entered the Guinness World Records.