Prayagraj: Amid elaborate
arrangements, over 2 crore people took a dip at the Sangam on the occasion of
Maghi Purnima during the Maha Kumbh mela here, according to the Uttar Pradesh
Information Department.
The sacred bath began early
Wednesday and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was monitoring the
event from Lucknow. The full moon period, which marks the conclusion of the
month-long Kalpvas, is considered spiritually vibrant phase for Hindu faithful.
While lakhs of devotees are headed
to the Sangam Nose to take a dip, the Uttar Pradesh government in a statement
said that over two crore people took holy dip in Ganga on the occasion of
'Maghi Purnima'.
CM Adityanath, who has been
monitoring the Maghi Purnima Snan since 4 am, was taking regular updates on the
Maghi Purnima Snan at Sangam, Prayagraj, from the war room set up at his
official residence in Lucknow. He extended his heartfelt congratulations to
everyone on the auspicious occasion of Magh Purnima.
"Heartiest greetings to all the
revered saints, religious leaders, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come for the
holy bath at the sacred Triveni in Maha Kumbh-2025, Prayagraj. May everyone's
life be filled with happiness, prosperity and good fortune by the grace of Lord
Shri Hari. May Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna and Maa Saraswati fulfill everyone's wishes,"
he posted on X.
Adityanath today convened a meeting
in the War Room at his official residence, 5 Kalidas Marg, from 4 AM, to
closely monitor the arrangements in Prayagraj on the occasion of the holy Magh
Purnima Snan Parv. Accompanied by the DGP, Principal Secretary Home, and Chief
Minister’s Secretariat officials, he continuously reviewed live updates on TV,
issuing necessary instructions in real-time. Earlier, during Basant Panchami
Amrit Snan, CM Yogi had similarly held a War Room meeting from 3:30 AM, closely
monitoring the event, says the Chief Minister's Office.
"
The Chief Minister assessed
the overall security and logistical arrangements for the Magh Purnima Snan,
ensuring that devotees faced no inconvenience and were provided with optimal
facilities. CM Yogi instructed officials to maintain tight security at the
bathing sites and to make all necessary arrangements for devotees. He
emphasized enhancing administrative preparedness, particularly in security
measures and traffic management, to facilitate a smooth and hassle-free holy
dip at Triveni Sangam for crores of devotees" added the Chief Minister's
Office
Kumbh SSP Rajesh Dwivedi said,
"The movement of devotees is going on smoothly and we are taking care of
all (crowd) pressure points." "We have made elaborate arrangements
during the previous 'snan' on Basant Panchami too. Our arrangements have been
further augmented this time,” he said.
The SSP said, “More deployment has
been done at all the pressure points. Along with that, we are briefing people
to ensure a smooth movement."
After the Maghi Purnima bath, around
10 lakh kalpvasis will start leaving the Maha Kumbh. The administration has
requested all Kalpvasis to follow traffic rules and use only authorised parking
spaces.
The ongoing Magh Mela 2025 witnessed
a massive influx of devotees, with over 48.83 million people taking a holy dip
in the Ganga till 0400 hrs on Monday. The total number of pilgrims visiting the
mela grounds has reached 38.83 million, while Kalpwasis staying in the area
have crossed 10 million. According to officials, the cumulative number of
devotees who have performed snan since the beginning of the festival has now
exceeded 462.5 million as of February 11, 2025.
More footfall expected
The footfall is expected to increase
further as the mela progresses, with more auspicious bathing dates lined up in
the coming days. Authorities have deployed extensive security and
administrative measures to manage the massive gathering, ensuring a smooth and
safe experience for the pilgrims.
Prayagraj ADG Bhanu Bhaskar said
that real-time data is being collected from toll plazas and officials of
neighbouring districts so that the number of vehicles coming and the routes can
be monitored and regulated.
Srinivas, who has come from Andhra
Pradesh to take a holy dip, said, "It feels good. The UP government has
made good arrangements.
Many thanks to Yogi Adityanath ji, many thanks to Prime
Minister Modi. Everyone has come to take a bath on Maghi Purnima."
Another devotee, Gayatri, said,
"I am very happy to be here at the Kumbh Mela. I feel very good to be here
on this auspicious occasion. The UP government has created a good atmosphere
here. Actually being a Hindu, this is the first time I have really felt like an
Indian. People have shown their religiousness and unity has been
promoted."
Officials said the state transport
department has arranged 1,200 additional shuttle buses, which will be available
every 10 minutes, for the return of the devotees. The Maha Kumbh will conclude
on February 26 with the final Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mahashivratri. A
stampede during the Manui Amaswya 'Amirt Snan' on January 29 had left,
according to the Uttar Pradesh government, 30 dead and 60 injured.