Prayagraj (UP), Jan 23 (PTI) More than three crore devotees took a dip at Sangam — the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers — here on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami on Friday, officials said.
An official of the Prayagraj Mela Authority said people started arriving at the Sangam area from midnight onwards. On Basant Panchami, 3.56 crore devotees took a holy dip, the official said.
Mela officer Rishi Raj said there was a huge crowd of devotees at all ghats in the mela ground. More than 400 cameras are operational in the area to monitor the movement of devotees, he said, adding that railway stations and bus stands were also being tracked.
Tirtha purohit Rajendra Mishra said Basant Panchami holds special significance in Prayagraj as the city is believed to be the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
Besides worshipping Goddess Saraswati, the deity of learning, the festival also signals a change in season and is celebrated as a cultural event, with people applying colours and observing rituals associated with the onset of spring, he said.
Divisional Commissioner Saumya Agrawal said the Magh Mela is spread across 800 hectares and divided into seven sectors. More than 25,000 toilets have been constructed in the area and over 3,500 sanitation workers have been deployed, she said.
Agrawal said a tent city has been set up at the Magh Mela for devotees wishing to observe short-term ‘kalpavas’, with facilities for meditation and yoga.
To facilitate the smooth movement of pilgrims, bike taxis and golf carts have also been made available, she added.
Superintendent of Police (Magh Mela) Neeraj Pandey said more than 10,000 police personnel have been deployed across the mela area to ensure the safety of devotees and smooth traffic movement.
Keeping crowd management and traffic flow in mind, 42 temporary parking facilities have been created this year, with a capacity to accommodate over one lakh vehicles, he said.
He also said that ghats stretching up to a total length of 12,100 feet have been constructed for the Magh Mela 2025-26, and are equipped with all the basic facilities.
North Central Railway Public Relations Officer Amit Malviya said that keeping in mind the additional needs of passengers on the occasion of Basant Panchami, 22 special Mela trains were operated by the Prayagraj division. PTI RAJ KIS NAV NSD NSD
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