LUCKNOW: After the three Amrit Snans on Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, and Basant Panchami, the holy bath of Maghi Purnima, the full moon day, began peacefully on early Wednesday morning, with millions having descended at Sangam in the Maha Kumbh amid elaborate arrangements. In a grand spectacle, choppers showered 25 quintals of rose petals on the pilgrims bathing at the ghats.
With Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitoring the operations from his war room since as early as 4 am, the crowd stretched across the 15-km periphery of Mahakumbh Nagar.
Till Wednesday evening, over 2 crore devotees had already taken a dip in the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers, and officials estimated that the number would exceed 2.5 crore by end of the day.
The bath marks the conclusion of the month-long Kalpavas, with around 10 lakh Kalpvasis preparing to leave the Mela premises. The event has seen an extensive deployment of officials, including 15 district magistrates, 20 other IAS officers, and 85 PCS officers, ensuring smooth operations. CM Adityanath has been receiving regular updates from his official residence in the state capital.
Despite the relentless stream of pilgrims, traffic management in and around Prayagraj remained largely smooth, thanks to a special plan implemented by the authorities. "We are taking care of all crowd pressure points. Like the Basant Panchami Snan, elaborate arrangements have been made to facilitate bathing smoothly. Rather, we have augmented the arrangements further in the wake of millions thronging the Mela for the holy dip on Maghi Purnima," said Mahakumbh SSP Rajesh Dwivedi.
To maintain order, a ‘no vehicle zone’ was enforced in the fair area from 4 am on Tuesday, while the entire city was declared a no-vehicle zone from 5 pm, with exemptions for emergency and essential services. Additional 1,200 shuttle buses were arranged to accommodate the swelling crowd.
Special police forces were deployed at key locations, with ADG Prayagraj Bhanu Bhaskar stating, "The special traffic plan will remain in force till the completion of the bathing ritual to ensure the safe evacuation of devotees from the fair area in case of any emergency." Public address systems were continuously used to guide devotees and ensure smooth movement.
CM Adityanath extended his greetings to devotees and residents of the state on the occasion of the holy bathing festival.
With over 13 days left for the Maha Kumbh to conclude, more than 47 crore people have taken a dip at Sangam since the grand religious event began on 13 January. The Maha Kumbh will culminate with the final Snan of Mahashivratri on 26 February.
