Hundreds of people took part in Ganga worship and arati specially organised at Sarsiyya ghat, Har Ki Pauri on the occasion of Ganga Saptami on Thursday. Families of priests and other devotees brought milk and food delicacies prepared in pure ghee (clarified butter) to offer to goddess Ganga by way of paying obeisance to her.
Devotees performed 'deepdan' (floating earthen lamps on leaf palanquin) to please the goddess. A huge crowd was seen at the ghats since morning to take holy dip.
It is believed that taking bath in the Ganga on Ganga Saptami is auspicious. legend says that the holy river is reborn on this day.
As per mythology, Ganga descended on the Earth on Ganga Dussehra. When the holy river had descended, lord Shiva stopped her in his matted locks so that she might not sweep the whole earth away. later, the lord released Ganga so that she could accomplish her mission to purge the cursed souls of Bhagirath's ancestors. Speaking to The Pioneer, president of Ganga Maha Sabha, Purushottam Sharma Gandhiwadi said, "Coming down to earth, the Ganga crossed the ashram of sage Jahnu and flooded it. The furious sage drank all the water of Ganga. After this, Rishi Bhagirath prayed and performed tapasya to please sage Jahnu to release Ganga so that she could proceed on her mission. Appeased by the prayers, Jahnu released Ganga from his ear on Saptami of Vaishakha Shukla Paksha.