UP: 4.52 crore take holy dip at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya; probe seer's 'mistreatment', says Akhilesh

Prayagraj (UP), Jan 18 (PTI) More than 4.52 crore devotees took a holy dip at the Sangam on Sunday on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, the most auspicious ritual bath of the Magh Mela, officials said.

A senior mela administration official said devotees began arriving at the Sangam ghats from midnight, braving dense fog, and continued to stream in through the early morning hours.

A brief disruption occurred in the morning when police stopped Jyotirpeeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati from proceeding to the Sangam along with a large number of followers.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted a video of the incident on social media and demanded a probe into the "mistreatment" of the seer.

Superintendent of Police (Magh Mela) Neeraj Pandey said Avimukteshwaranand, without prior permission, attempted to enter the bathing ghat with around 200-250 followers after breaking a barricade at Bridge Number 2.

Despite being told about the heavy rush of devotees, he refused to stop and later returned without taking the holy dip, Pandey said, adding, "The police administration respects all saints and seers, but the safety of devotees is our top priority." Yadav, in a post on X, said mistreatment of saints is unpardonable and demanded a probe into the matter.

"The alleged mistreatment of saints and devotees in the Magh Mela area this year, just like last year, is unpardonable. The centuries-old, uninterrupted Sanatani tradition of the royal bath ('Shahi Snan') was disrupted last year as well, under the same government," the former chief minister said, questioning why such incidents were occurring under a BJP-led government.

"Is the Shahi Snan on Mauni Amavasya happening for the first time? The BJP's misgovernance and failed arrangements are solely responsible for this situation," he alleged, emphasising that a probe must be ordered.

Meanwhile, district officials said flower petals were showered on devotees in the morning from a helicopter following directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Earlier, around 1.03 crore devotees had taken a dip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, while nearly 85 lakh people bathed at the Sangam on Ekadashi.

Divisional Commissioner Saumya Agrawal said reflective tapes have been installed on poles across the mela area to help pilgrims navigate, while civil defence volunteers have been deployed to guide devotees.

She said the Magh Mela is spread across 800 hectares and divided into seven sectors. More than 25,000 toilets have been installed in the mela area, and over 3,500 sanitation workers have been deployed to maintain cleanliness.

A tent city has been set up for tourists and pilgrims who wish to observe 'Kalpvas' (ritual prayer), with facilities for meditation and yoga. To ensure smooth movement, services such as bike-taxis and golf carts have been provided, the official added.

SP Pandey said over 10,000 police personnel have been deployed across the mela area to ensure security and smooth movement of devotees. For crowd management and traffic regulation, 42 temporary parking zones have been created, with a capacity to accommodate over one lakh vehicles.

He said a 12,100 feet-long bathing ghats has been constructed for the Magh Mela this year, equipped with all essential facilities. PTI RAJ CDN ABN ARB ARB