Kurukshetra, May 31
Over seven lakh pilgrims today took a dip in Sannihit and Brahm Sarovar on the occasion of the first solar eclipse of the 21st century. Pilgrims started converging here since yesterday afternoon. Their number swelled as the eclipse time came close.

The pilgrims 70 per cent women, came in chartered buses, trains, special buses run by Haryana and the Punjab Roadways. Young and aged, infirm and able-bodied could be seen jostling to reach the two Sarovars.

On the banks of the two Sarovars pilgrims could be seen praying to the eclipsed sun. Pilgrims in clusters brought in the flavour of their provinces.

Discourses and bhajans continued throughout the night. A large number of devotees spent the night on the banks, praying.

As the moon began to eclipse the sun the sound of conch-shells and the temple bells began to rise from the temples. Raising slogans: ‘‘Surya Dev ki Jai’’ and ‘‘Har Har Maha Dev’’ jumped into the sarovars. Many of them came out of the tanks only at 8.45 a.m., when the eclipse was over. A dip in the Sannihit Sarovar alone wasn’t enough for some. They went for one more in the Braham Sarovar.

Women made offerings of coconut and sent camphor lamps afloat in the two tanks. After the bath they distributed alms, wheat flour and ‘‘gur’’ to hundreds of beggars and pandas who had seated themselves on roads leading to the two Sarovars. The pilgrims visited various temples in and around the city. The maximum rush was witnessed in the Sarveshwar Mahadev temple located in the midst of the Braham Sarovar, to make offerings to Shiva.

As the eclipse ended, pilgrims rushed towards parking lots. The police had a hard time in controlling the crowds on the Birla Mandir road.

The police had to use ropes to push pilgrims to the walls of the Birla Mandir.

On the VIP Ghat of Braham Sarovar the Haryana Governor, Babu Parmanand performed puja amidst chanting of hymns from the Vedas. His wife also had a dip. Others who had a dip included Mr I.D. Swami, Union Minister of State for Home, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, Union Minister of State for Defence, Dr M.L. Ranga, Health Minister Haryana, Mr Justice B.K. Roy and Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

HAMIRPUR (OC): Many persons from here took a dip in the Beas during the eclipse.