Scores of devout Hindus including many migrant Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday offered prayers and bathed at the confluence of the Jhelum River and the Sindh stream in Saidipora area of J&K’s Srinagar district.

Braving sub-zero temperatures, devout Hindus offered floral tributes and chanted religious hymns at Saidipora temple which is situated inside the Jhelum River at its confluence with the Sindh stream.

“Most of us are from Andhra Pradesh although there are many from other places also. We offered prayers at the ‘Sangam’ (Confuence) at Saidipora temple and took the holy dip. We also offered prayers at the Wayil bridge and took the holy dip in the Sindh stream. Both Jhelum and Sindh rivers are sacred to Hindu faith.

“After the prayers and the holy dip we had ‘Darshan’ of the Mata at the Khir Bhawani temple”, said one of the devotees.

The devotees numbering over 3,000 said the practice will continue for 10 days till the end of this month. They also said that due to the pandemic, the devotees could not perform the ritual last year.