People in Varanasi took a holy dip in river Ganges on Tuesday to celebrate the festival 'Ganga Dussehra', which marks the descent of river Ganges on the earth.
The priests performed rituals on the banks of the river and chanted hymns as the devotees offered prayers and sought blessings.
"Today is Ganga Dussehra and everyone comes to take a dip in the holy river. We pray for the wellbeing of the family," said a devotee Savitri Singh.
"On this day Maa Ganga came down to earth from heaven and gave salvation to the 60,000 ancestors of Raja Bhagirath. The divine occasion washes away sins of many lives," said a priest.
Every year the occasion of 'Ganga Dussehra' is celebrated by performing several rites and rituals of Ganga pooja to commemorate her.