Prayagraj (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that more than 31 lakh devotees took a holy dip in the sacred Triveni Sangam on Paush Purnima (full moon) at the Magh Mela, against the expected 10-15 lakh devotees.
After reviewing the preparations for the Magh Mela, Adityanath said, “The bathing rituals will continue on January 14-15 for Makar Sankranti, January 18 for Mauni Amavasya, January 23 for Basant Panchami, then Magh Purnima, and February 15 for Mahashivratri.”
All departments have made extensive preparations for the entire event. This year, the length of the ghats (riverbanks) has been increased for the Magh Mela. Special attention has also been paid to cleanliness, and measures have been taken to protect against the severe cold wave, he said.
By 8am, over 6.5 lakh devotees had taken the ritual bath. The count climbed to 9 lakh by 10am, 15.3 lakh by 12 noon, and around 19 lakh by 2pm. By late afternoon, the figure had crossed 21.5 lakh by 5pm, with bathing continuing into the evening.
Security personnel remained on high alert across the mela area and the district, manning entry and exit points throughout the day. Barricades were also erected at several locations within the mela grounds to regulate and control pilgrim movement.
Top administrative and police officials supervised preparations and crowd management through Friday night and Saturday. Divisional commissioner Saumya Agarwal, police commissioner Jogendra Kumar, district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, mela officer Rishiraj, and SSP (Mela) Neeraj Pandey inspected various sectors of the mela as well as the Sangam and the 10 surrounding ghats.
Teams of ADMs and SDMs kept a strict watch across all seven sectors. Civil Defence personnel, led by deputy controller Neeraj Mishra and chief warden Anil Kumar, guided pilgrims, managed crowd flow, cleared ghats, and assisted the elderly, throughout the day, amid the cold weather.
Saturday also witnessed commencement of month-long Kalpvas for over 4 lakh devotees on the banks of the holy Triveni.
Mela officer Rishi Raj said the month of Magh began smoothly with the Paush Purnima bath. “All arrangements related to security, health, and sanitation are in place. Teams are working to ensure that no devotee faces any inconvenience. Preparations are already underway for the next major bathing festival of Makar Sankranti on January 15,” he added.
SSP (Mela) Neeraj Pandey said that more than 1500 CCTV cameras were being used to monitor the city as well as the mela area 24×7 from the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). “Security personnel equipped with modern technology were effectively managing the crowd. Public address systems, watchtowers, and active patrolling by the water police at the ghats are ensuring smooth and organised facilities for the devotees,” he added.
