This footage was filmed and produced 14 January 2022.

Amid the COVID-19 surge, a large number of people took a holy dip on Friday on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Garh Mukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, IndiA. Those who have taken the double dose of COVID vaccines and only those having negative RT-PCR reports not earlier than 72 hours have been permitted to enter the Mela.

The holy bath began at midnight as pilgrims from different parts of the country gathered at the confluence braving cold and steady drizzle. Held during the winters, this Mela is an annual gathering of pilgrims that see a number of rituals, lit lamps, and chanting in and around the Ganga River. Makar Sankranti or Maghi is a festival in the Hindu calendar, in which devotees make offerings to the deity Surya. The day marks the first day of the sun`s transit into the Makara, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.