15 lakh devotees to take holy dip on Maghi Purnima

Prayagraj: Elaborate security arrangements have been made for pilgrims, devotees and kalpwasis ahead of Maghi Purnima snan on Saturday. The

Magh

Mela campus has been into a fortress with ATS and STF commandos, and personnel of paramilitary forces being deployed.

Around nine companies of PAC and two companies of RAF were also roped in for crowd and traffic management. IG ( Prayagraj zone) K P Singh told TOI, “Around 15 lakh devotees, pilgrims, sadhus and kalpwasis are likely to take the holy dip on the occasion of Maghi Purnima snan scheduled on Saturday”.

"We have focused on both traffic and crowd management as the kalpwasis would also start returning to their native towns after taking a holy dip in Ganga on Maghi Purnima and performing all rituals”. The Maghi Purnima snan is considered pious. Devotees and pilgrims have already started flocking to the tent city.

As the snan falls on the weekend, Saturday, the influx of devotees would be much more compared to other bathing days” said IG.

Apart from ATS and STF commandos and personnel of paramilitary forces, around 150 swimmers have also been deployed on ghats to keep a strict vigil and tackle any incident. The diversion plan has been implemented from Friday morning given Maghi Purnima snan and will continue till Sunday night.

This time, mela traffic police have made one-way routes for the entry and exit of vehicles. Mela police have started crowd and traffic management for the fifth main snan of the ongoing Magh Mela, and teams of Jal police, NDRF and PAC flood relief personnel have been deployed at the ghats, IG added.

Parking arrangements have been made at five prominent spots, including plot number 17, pontoon bridge workshop, Galla Mandi(Daraganj), Helipad parking, and Kali Sadak so that devotees don’t have to walk much to reach Sangam. Stress is also being laid on following the Covid-19 protocol.