Maha Kumbh: Maghi Purnima 'snan' begins amid elaborate arrangements

Prayagraj: The Maghi Purnima sacred bath began early Wednesday as hundreds of thousands of devotees gathered in the Maha Kumbh Mela area here amid elaborate traffic, crow control and safety measures.

With the Maghi Purnima bath, the month-long Kalpavas will also end and the 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.

Lakhs of devotees have already taken the holy dip at the Triveni Sangam and other ghats since the bathing started early morning.

Officials said they have made elaborate arrangements for the occasion to ensure the devotees take the sacred bath without any hassle.

The fair area has been declared a 'no vehicle zone' from 4 am on Tuesday, while the entire city will become a no-vehicle zone from 5 pm onwards, with an exemption for emergency and essential services. To avoid traffic chaos, designated parking lots have been marked for public and private vehicles.

Prayagraj ADG Bhanu Bhaskar said special police forces have been deployed at all places where crowd management becomes challenging.

The special traffic plan will remain in force till the completion of the bathing ritual to ensure safe evacuation of devotees from the fair area in case of any emergency.

Bhaskar said that real time data is being collected from toll plazas and officials of neighboring 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 Uttar Pradesh government said on Tuesday that only 14 days are left for the Maha Kumbh to end. More than 45 crore people have taken a dip in the Sangam so far since the grand religious event started on January 13.

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.