The early morning rituals

The boats for pilgrims

On an early morning of the 15th Jan., thousands of pilgrims journeyed to Devghat for Maghe Sankranti where people from all over came to take the holy bath in the Narayani River to celebrate Maghe Sankranti.

They also perform other Hindu rituals like Bratabandha besides the holy bath. Bratabandha is a religious ceremony where a boy shaves most of his head (except the very top) and performs various rituals. It is a symbolic representation that a boy is mature enough to perform his duties.

The early morning rituals at the river bank of Narayani

Devghat is located at the junction of Krishna-Gandaki and Sapta-Gandaki (which becomes Narayani after converging) rivers in Central Nepal. It is 5 km from Narayangarh, which is the business hub of the Chitwan district and 200 km Southwest from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. 

The story can also be found at demotix