Devotees thronged the banks of river Ganga here on Thursday to take a holy dip and offer prayers on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti.
People in Chennai and Assam, where this festival is celebrated as Pongal and Bihu respectively, marked the occasion by making different kinds of sweets and offering their first harvests.
Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the sun into the zodiac sign of Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The day is also believed to mark the arrival of spring in India and is a traditional event.
