Himachal: Devotees take holy dip in Renuka Lake on Hariprabodhini Ekadashi

Nahan (HP), Nov 1 (PTI) Thousands of devotees took a holy dip in Renuka Lake in Sirmaur district on the occasion of Hariprabodhini Ekadashi on Saturday. The holy dip began around 3 am and will continue till late evening.

To mark the occasion, the six-day international Renuka Ji fair commenced on Friday, and will conclude on November 5 after the Kartik Purnima ‘snan’ (bath).

Devotees flocked to the lake starting at 3 am and paid obeisance to Bhagwati Renuka Ji and Lord Parshuram at the ancient temples around the waterbody.

“A huge rush of devotees has been witnessed at the ‘snan ghat’ since early morning,” Ram Lal Sharma, a social worker, said.

A number of devotees from different parts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand thronged the lake since early morning with their families to pay obeisance to Lord Parshuram, their 'kul devta'.

“We have been visiting the fair every year with our relatives for generations,” one of the devotees told PTI.

Many devotees arrived on Friday and spent the night in the fair ground, singing bhajans amid religious chanting. Some devotees also put up at the Nirvana Ashram on the banks of the lake, where free food is served round the clock.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made around the lake to manage the crowd. PTI COR BPL APL ARI