Kathmandu, Jan 12, 2017: The first day of the month-long Madhav Narayan festival saw hundreds of Hindu devotees in Nepal taking part in a mass holy bath ritual in the famous Sali River situated in the ancient town of Sankhu.

Devotees fast, chant hymns, meditate and take holy dips to pay tribute to Hindu Goddess Swasthani, who is supposed to bring good fortune to them.

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The devotees take only one meal a day without salt and also take around the city of Sankhu barefoot worshipping at different Hindu temples. Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan temples are must visits for paying tribute.

Daiba Shrestha, a local resident of Sankhu told PTI that " This time a total of 205 devotees are taking part in the month-long festival by observing Brata, during which they take only one meal a day without salt".

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The worshippers also spend time studying the religious book of Swasthani, which relates to the lives of the Goddess and Hindu God Shiva. While men pray for good fortune, married women pray for the well being and prosperity of their husbands and children, and unmarried women pray asking for suitable spouse.

– prepared by Saptaparni Goon of NewsGram. Twitter: @saptaparni_goon