Prayagraj: Over 2.10 crore devotees on Sunday took a holy dip at Triveni Sangam on the auspicious occasion of Maghi Purnima, the fifth and second last bathing day of the Magh Mela. With this, the total number of devotees taking a bath at the Sangam so far crossed the 20-crore mark, officials said adding that with 14 days remaining for Magh Mela to conclude, the total count is expected to exceed 25 crore. The mela will end on Feb 15 with the Mahashivratri snan. “The crowd at the Sangam began swelling from Saturday night. By 8am, 90 lakh took a holy dip. Due to clear weather and efficient arrangements, devotees were able to take their dip and proceed to their destinations without any difficulty. By the end of the auspicious period of Magh Purnima, more than 2.10 crore devotees took a holy dip by 4pm,” Mela Adhikari Rishiraj said. He said the mela police remained on their toes to ensure the safety and security of devotees. The mela administration reinforced the ghats and deployed volunteers to facilitate hassle-free bathing. At Prayagwal Nagar, Madhavanand Sharma, the head priest of the Durgashakti Kalpavasi camp and national secretary of the All India Tirth Purohit Mahasabha, said there was an unprecedented increase in the number of pilgrims in all the camps this year. For the first time, the mela administration set up Prayagwal Nagar, facilitating better arrangements for the pilgrims and kalpwasis. As the sun rose over the 8 km-long temporary ghats on the banks of the Ganga, the slogans of ‘Har Har Gange’, ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ filled the air. Devotees, clad in vibrant attire, were seen from early hours, eagerly waiting for their turn to take the sacred dip. Senior mela cops also assessed the security and logistical arrangements for Maghi Purnima snan and watched live footage of crowd movement, administrative coordination, and infrastructure management across Sangam city. Officials said the devotees followed rules and regulations, which helped in effective crowd management. Anticipating rush, the authorities had put in place a traffic diversion plan in and around the mela area, and adequate police force was stationed at designated points. Mela police kept asking the devotees to leave the ghats after taking holy dips to keep the crowd moving. A dedicated team from the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) was roped in to set up a robust security framework by leveraging advanced technology for comprehensive surveillance. Special arrangements were also made for ‘Kalpvasis’ who, after the culmination of Maghi Purnima snan, started their journey back to their native towns after spending one month on the banks of the Ganga. The experience of Kalpwasis was also different this time. Anguri Dubey, a 95-year-old woman from Etawah who performed Kalpavas for the fifth consecutive year, said fewer people from Etawah and surrounding districts used to come for kalpavas, but this time 5 people came with her. The arrangements for cleanliness, water, and electricity in the pilgrims’ camps were excellent. The pure water of Maa Ganga was available for bathing. Krishna Kant Shukla, a retired deputy jailer from Pratapgarh, completed his 12-year Kalpavas this year and took a vow to perform it again. “The govt made excellent arrangements in the camps. My younger generation also came with me to perform Kalpavas this timeg,” he said.
