Lakhs of devotees gather at Chitrakoot on Diwali

Satna: More than 20 lakh devotees gathered at Chitrakoot on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Diwali on Thursday, an official said.

According to mythology, Lord Ram spent the better part of his 14-year exile at Chitrakoot, located on the banks of the Mandakini river.

Anurag Verma, collector of Satna in Madhya Pradesh, told PTI that the holy town recorded footfall of between 25 to 30 lakh.

Devotees took a dip in the river and performed `deep-daan’ ceremony, he said.

The annual five-day `mela’ or fair that starts on Dhanteras is underway and visitors are camping within the radius of 10 km from Chitrakoot, Verma said.

Devotees visiting Chitrakoot also perform a 5-km ‘parikrama’ or circumambulation of which a 3-km stretch passes through the town, the collector said.

The administration has made all necessary arrangements for the devotees, he added.