Lakhs of devotees thronged the Sun temples at Konark in Orissa and Arasavelli in Srikakulam district of AP on account of the Radha Saptami festival today.

Radha Saptami, the seventh day or Saptami of the lunar Magha Masam, symbolizes the turning of the chariot of the Sun God towards the northern sphere in the heavens as believed by the millions of Hindus world over.

As you have read in these columns earlier, Uttarayana generally begins with Makara Sankranthi but the effective leaning and tilting of Sun towards the northern latitudes from its path on the equator actually begins on Radha Saptami, according to one theory.

Tens of thousands of devotees bathed in the Chandrabhaga lake abutting the mouth of the Bay of Bengal at Konark raising slogans ‘Sapta Sapta Maha Sapta Radha Sapta’ in a frenzy religious fervor.

On the other hand, lakhs of devotees also visited the Arasavelli temple and had the darshan of the Sun God. The 3-day Radha Saptami festival began on a grand note amid the presence of a sea of devotees and long queues of devotees were found at the temple.

There was a flood of devotees at the Sun temples in Secunderabad and at Tanuku West Godavari district, according to reports. (JUBS)