LUCKNOW: The third and final Amrit Snan on the 21st day of Mahakumbh Mela started early morning at 5 am with Akharas proceeding in their full glory towards Sangam for the Basant Panchami dip on Monday.
As Basant Panchami began at 9:44 am on Sunday, the common devotees started the Amrit Snan. However, the Akharas began their holy dip on Monday morning, observing the ‘Udaya Tithi’ of Basant Panchami.
The first two Akharas to proceed towards Sangam at scheduled 5 am included Mahanirvani and Atal Akharas followed by Niranajani and Anand Akharas at 5:50 am.
The ascetics were seen moving towards the Sangam in procession singing and dancing amid chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ brandishing sword, mace, Damaru and conch shells.
Covered in ash and wearing shades, the sadhus, immersed in deep faith, made their way towards Sagam, riding horses, elephants, and ornately decorated chariots.
At the time of filing this report, Juna Akhara along with its subsidiary, Kinnar Akhara had started towards the Sangma, the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, for the holy dip. All 13 Akharas will bathe one by one as per the plan chalked out by the Mela administration. On the other hand, millions of devotees have been approaching the processions of ascetics seeking the blessings of Naga Sadhus. Moreover, devotees from over 20 nations from across the globe are present in the Mela seeking divine blessings.
As per the local sources, all the roads approaching Sangam had a 10-km long stream of devotees as crowds had started gathering for the final Amrit Snan since Saturday.
In the wake of massive gathering, the temple of ‘Lete Hanumanji’ was closed. Over 36 crore devotees have already taken holy dip at Sangam since January 13 till 8 pm on February 2. As per the estimation, 4-5 crore devotees may take holy bath at Sangam till Monday evening.
In order to manage the crowd, at least 60,000 police personnel have been stationed at the mela premises. Crowd monitoring is being carried out using 2,750 CCTV cameras, along with regular helicopter sorties to oversee the area from the sky.
Meanwhile, ahead of the Amirt Snan of Monday, a special crowd management plan, ‘Operation Eleven,’ was implemented at Mahakumbh. The initiative was launched to ensure the safety and convenience of devotees. To manage the massive influx of pilgrims, a one-way route system has been designed, preventing congestion and ensuring smooth movement.
Special arrangements have also been made on pontoon bridges to ensure that devotees did not face any inconvenience while crossing. Moreover, additional police forces was deployed at Triveni’s ghats to prevent overcrowding. Senior officials were also stationed with their teams to monitor the situation closely. To further streamline the crowd flow, the number of barricades were increased for better regulation and safety.
Operation Eleven: Special crowd management plan for Mahakumbh
1. Strict Implementation of One-Way Route
On Basant Panchami Amrit Snan, the one-way traffic system was strictly enforced. To ensure smooth movement and control congestion, traffic diversions were implemented on major routes. Most pontoon bridges remained operational, with additional police personnel and barricades set up at key bathing ghats to effectively manage the crowd.
2. Enhanced security at key locations
Special security arrangements have been made on the New Yamuna Bridge. A PAC unit, under the leadership of an additional gazetted officer, was deployed to control traffic from Naini towards Sangam. Additionally, two motorcycle squads patrolled the area continuously. The bridge’s side railings were reinforced to prevent any accidents.
3. Special surveillance on Shastri Setu
A company of PAC and a gazetted officer were specially deployed to control the traffic from Jhunsi towards Sangam. Two motorcycle squads remained on active patrol to monitor and manage the flow of vehicles and pedestrians.
4. Crowd control at Tikarmafi Turn
A CAPF unit, under the leadership of a gazetted officer, was stationed at Tikarmafi Turn. Traffic from Jhunsi towards Tikarmafi Turn was diverted through Katka Tiraha, Jiraph Crossing, Chhatnag Turn, and Samudrakup Turn.
5. Special arrangements at Phaphamau and Pontoon bridges
At Phaphamau Bridge and Pontoon bridges, two motorcycle patrol teams were monitoring the movement, while PAC personnel were managing crowd flow at entry and exit points.
6. Special arrangements at railway stations and bus terminals
Special arrangements have been made at Jhunsi railway station. PAC has been deployed here under the leadership of a gazetted officer. Strong barricading has been set up at entry and exit points, and in coordination with railway authorities, train frequency was increased to accommodate the rush of pilgrims.
7. Bus operations plan for Jhunsi area
A temporary bus station at Saraswati Dwar will facilitate bus services to Gorakhpur and Varanasi. Sufficient number of reserved buses were being parked in Jhunsi at night. Shuttle buses were running between Andawa, Saraswati Dwar, and Sahson to ensure easy transportation for devotees.
8. Special security at Prayag Junction
Police and two companies of PAC were deployed under the leadership of three Deputy Superintendents of Police. Strong barricading and adequate police force have been arranged at Yudhishthir intersection to stop the traffic going towards Prayag Junction from the IERT flyover. Adequate signages were placed to guide devotees.
9. Crowd management at GT Jawahar and Harshvardhan squares
Adequate police force and PAC have been deployed under the leadership of gazetted officers for diversion at Medical College intersection and Balsan intersection. There will be diversion from Balsan via Bakshi Dam towards Nagvasuki area. Devotees will be directed from Stanley Road Junction via Lajpat Rai Road to the Commissioner’s Office Junction, passing through Bharat Scout. From there, they will turn right at Mazar Junction and proceed alongside the IERT parking area to reach the Mela grounds.
10. Additional security and traffic measures
Additional police and traffic police have been deployed at Andawa and Sahso intersections. Nine motorcycle squads were keeping constant vigil here. Cranes were stationed to handle emergencies.
11. Deployment of additional security forces
For the third Amrit Snan, two additional companies of RAF and three companies of PAC were deployed. Gazetted officers were monitoring sensitive places. 56 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) and 15 motorcycle patrol squads were ensuring effective patrolling. CAPF and PAC were stationed at major checkpoints and diversion points to maintain order.
