Berhampur: Amid tight security, thousands of people took the holy dip in the Rushikulya river near Aska, Surada, and Purushottampur in Ganjam district on Thursday on the occasion of Baruni Snana. The holy dip continued till evening, despite the scorching sun.
People believe that taking a dip at a particular spot on this day would wash away their sins. Many people performed “sradha” for their ancestors. More congregations were witnessed near the sangam of rivers Rushikulya and Badanadi near Aska. People did not face any difficulty in taking a dip as the river had sufficient water due to the recent rain.
Police made elaborate security arrangements by deploying security forces at different places where the congregation was large, said sub-divisional police officer (Aska) Santosh Kumar Jena. He said 20 police officers and several constables and home guards were deployed to clear traffic and maintain law and order on the riverbanks.