People offer Naag Panchami prayers in thigh-deep water in Bihar

The IMD has forecast that the current spell of heavy rainfall is likely to continue in Bihar till August 15, and will see a reduction thereafter.

Amid the current spell of incessant rainfall in the eastern and northeastern regions of India, visuals shared by news agency ANI showed people in Bihar offering prayers at temples, which are partially submerged owing to an overflowing Ganga.

The IMD has predicted scattered to fairly widespread rain is very likely in Bihar on August 13 and 14. (ANI Photo)

The scenes were shot at the Kali Ghat in Bihar’s capital Patna with people seen before temples in thigh-deep flooded water. The prayers were being offered on the occasion of Naag Panchami that is being observed on Friday.

This Hindu festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the Shukla Paksha during the Shravan month. On this auspicious day, women devotees offer milk to snakes and worship Nag Devta. Fasts are also observed and people make offerings to the Nag Devta to keep evil forces at bay and protect their families from them.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department in its afternoon bulletin predicted that the intense spell of rain over northeast India and the sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, along with Bihar is likely to continue till August 15. Furthermore, the gradual increase in rainfall activity over the northeast peninsular and adjoining east-central India will also occur from August 15 onwards.

According to the MeT department, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls is “very likely” to continue over Bihar on August 13 and 14. A reduction in rainfall activity will be witnessed in the state after that.

The IMD also stated that a cyclonic circulation lies over west Bihar and its neighbourhood, and the same is expected to persist during the next 48 hours and become less marked thereafter. Moreover, a cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal around August 15. This development may cause a low-pressure formation over the same region during the subsequent 48 hours.