Kurukshetra: At least five persons were killed as lakhs of devotees took holy dip at the sacred Sannehit and Brahmsarovar rivers on May 31 to attain salvation on the occasion of the millennium's first solar eclipse seen from India.

A large number of people, many among them women and children, who had started pouring into Kurukshetra since May 30, continued to take holy dip until the afternoon, much after the auspicious time (7.35 am to 8.39 am IST) had already ended.

Serpentine queues up to five km from the ghats blocked all routes and people had to make a beeline to take ablutions. Earlier, all entry points to Kurukshetra were choked by a sea of pilgrims.

Police said two men got drowned while taking holy bath in the sacred Sannehit and Brahmsarovar ponds each, while an old woman died immediately after taking the dip.

They said two more were killed in a road accident while reaching Kurukshetra on May 31.

According to a Hindu mythology, it is believed whoever takes dip on the occasion of solar eclipse in the two sarovars attains salvation.

"I believe by taking bath in the sacred Brahm Sarovar I will get rid of all my sins," Ram Narain Tirath, 86, from Jagannath Puri in Orissa said.

Official figures put the number of devotees who came here on the occasion at 10 lakh.

PTI