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Over 9 Lakh Devotees Brave Cold for Holy Dip at Prayagraj's Magh Mela

On the occasion of Ekadashi, over nine lakh devotees took a holy dip at the Sangam in Prayagraj as part of the ongoing Magh Mela. Authorities are on high alert, deploying around 10,000 police personnel and using drones for surveillance ahead of the major Makar Sankranti bathing ritual. Officials expect over one crore devotees to gather for the sacred bath on January 15, with security forces briefed to ensure safety. Large gatherings for holy dips were also reported in Ayodhya and preparations are complete for West Bengal's Gangasagar Mela.

Key Points: Massive Turnout at Magh Mela, Heavy Security for Makar Sankranti

  • Over 9 lakh devotees bathed by 6 AM on Ekadashi
  • 10,000 police personnel deployed for security
  • Over 1 crore devotees expected on Makar Sankranti
  • Drone and CCTV surveillance in place
  • Similar large gatherings at Ayodhya and Gangasagar
3 min read

UP: Over 9 lakh devotees take holy dip at Magh Mela on Ekadashi; heavy security ahead of Makar Sankranti

Over 9 lakh devotees took a holy dip at Prayagraj's Magh Mela on Ekadashi. Authorities deploy 10,000 personnel ahead of Makar Sankranti, expecting over 1 crore visitors.

"Full preparations are in place, and everyone is being ensured a safe 'snaan'. - SP Neeraj Pandey"

Prayagraj, January 14

On the occasion of Ekadashi, a large number of devotees arrived at the Sangam Ghat in Prayagraj to take a holy dip during the ongoing Magh Mela.

Drone visuals from the Mela show thousands of devotees at the Sangam Ghat, braving the cold and taking the dip.

The second sacred bathing ritual (snan) of Magh Mela will be held on Makar Sankranti, on January 15 in Prayagraj. After the successful Paush Purnima snan, in which over 31 lakh devotees took a holy dip, the Mela administration is preparing for the upcoming Makar Sankranti Snan.

The administration has implemented high-security measures, with UP ATS mobile patrol squads monitoring the Magh Mela area.

Informing on the security arrangements, SP Magh Mela Neeraj Pandey said that around 10,000 police personnel have been deployed and surveillance is ongoing to ensure "a safe snaam."

"Keeping Makar Sankranti in view, the police have made complete arrangements. Around 10,000 police personnel are deployed. 22 PAC, 6 RAF, NDRF, ATS, and civil police personnel are deployed in large numbers. The water police are continuously patrolling... Surveillance is being conducted through drone cameras and CCTV cameras... Full preparations are in place, and everyone is being ensured a safe 'snaan'," the SP told ANI.

Additionally, Magh Mela Officer Rishi Raj informed that by 6 AM, over 9 lakh people had taken a dip, adding that "the entire police force has been deployed on the spot."

"Even on the occasion of Ekadashi, many people are taking a bath. By 6 AM, around 9 lakh 50 thousand people have already taken a bath, and devotees are bathing at all our ghats...Makar Sankranti is tomorrow, but since it's January 14th, people are still coming to bathe today, and our entire police force is deployed on the spot...and monitoring is being done at all places," the officer said.

Soumya Agarwal, Divisional Commissioner, Prayagraj, assured the safety during the snaan on Makar Sankranti. "The police and security personnel have been properly briefed, and heavy security has been deployed to ensure a safe bath during the festival....We are expecting over 1 crore devotees on Makar Sankranti for the holy dip," she stated

In addition to Prayagraj, devotees also took a holy dip in the River Saryu and offered prayers on Makar Sankranti in Ayodhya.

On the other hand, West Bengal minister Sujit Bose said that elaborate arrangements have been made for the Gangasagar Mela, adding that "such a huge gathering has not been organised anywhere else in the country."

"The Mamata Banerjee government has made elaborate arrangements for the mela... Giving the status of a national mela to the Gangasagar mela is upto the people. People have seen the kinds of arrangements made here. Such a huge gathering is not organised anywhere else in India...," Bose told ANI.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The logistics for an event of this size must be a nightmare. Deploying 10,000 police, drones, and water patrols shows serious planning. Hope everyone stays safe, especially in the cold water.
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Priya S
While the security is impressive, I hope equal attention is paid to cleanliness and sanitation facilities for the devotees. Sometimes after such huge gatherings, the ghats are left in a terrible state. Jai Ganga Maiya!
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Vikram M
The spiritual energy of Sangam during Magh Mela is unmatched. My grandparents used to go every year. Expecting 1 crore people tomorrow? Bhagwan sabki raksha karen. The ATS and NDRF deployment is very reassuring for families.
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Rohit P
Why does the West Bengal minister have to turn this into a competition? "Such a huge gathering is not organised anywhere else..." Can we not just appreciate the devotion across Kumbh, Magh Mela, and Gangasagar without politics? 🙄
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Michael C
The scale of this is truly awe-inspiring from a global perspective. Managing crowds of millions for a religious dip is a monumental task. The use of technology like drone surveillance is a smart move for safety.

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