<span style="color: #222222;">Makar Sankranti is being celebrated today with religious fervor and enthusiam in many parts of the country.  <br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In Uttar Pradesh, Makar Sankranti is being celebrated today. Despite of a severe cold wave and cloudy conditions devotees started taking dip at holy rivers on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. AIR correspondent reports that  devotees along with saints have flocked to the Ghats of holy rivers across the state since last evening and are taking bath on the occasion of Makar Sankranti once the auspicious timing started. <br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">This is also the  first important bathing festival of about one and a half month-long Magh Mela, being held on the banks of Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati in Prayagraj. Since early morning, Lakhs of devotees are taking bath at Sangam and offering prayers.  Several dedicated religious programmes are being organized in magh mela area. Many Ashram Pandals will be also organizing traditional community lunch of rice feast -Khichri. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will do special pooja and offer Khichri Prasad at Gorakhnath Math at Gorakhpur, after which the famous Khichri Mela will start here.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In West Bengal, lakhs of people have gathered at Ganga Sagar – the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bay of Bengal to take a holy deep on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.<br />''<br />'' AIR Kolkata correspondent reports that pilgrims have come from all over the country and also from abroad. The State Government has taken all security measures to avoid any untoward incident.</span><br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Moreover in Tamil Nadu, the harvest festival of Pongal is being celebrated today with great enthusiasm. Various leaders have extended their greetings in view of the festival that falls on the first day of the auspicious month of Thai in the Tamil calendar. Entrances to the houses are adorned with colourful rangolis and farm products like turmeric, ginger and sugarcane. They form an integral part of the celebrations, along with the Pongal sweet mix. </span><br />