The third 'Amrit Snan' at the Maha Kumba proceeded peacefully on Monday with lakhs of people taking a dip on the occasion of Basant Panchmi and akharas resuming the grand processions curtailed last week when a stampede killed at least 30 people.
More than 62.25 lakh devotees had taken the ritual dip at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, by 8 am. The figure swelled to over 2.57 crore till 8 pm, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
With 'Mauni Amavasya' (29 January) and the stampede that broke out at the Sangam, safety measures mounted after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called for a "zero-error approach" from his officials.
Unlike on the Mauni Amavasya dip, when crowd pressure had built up at the Sangam, many devotees this time took to other ghats instead of jostling for space at the confluence themselves but an exhibition of self-awareness amidst heightened security and crowd control measures in the Mela area, said officials.
Chief minister Adityanath was monitoring the situation from his official residence in Lucknow since 3.30 am, they said.
DIG (Maha Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna told PTI Videos that in light of the January 29 stampede, additional force was deployed at all pressure points for crowd management.
“Everything is running smoothly today,” he said during a pre-dawn patrolling in the Mela area.
Later in the day, the DIG and some other senior officers went around the Mela area on horseback to assess crowd management.
"Our crowd management has been good today, which is visible. No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere yet. Additional deployment has been made at the pressure points. The Amrit Snan is progressing smoothly as per order," Krishna said.
During night on Monday, the government claimed that a seamless and secure experience of the bath was given with extensive security arrangements at Maha Kumbh.
Personnel from police, PAC, STF, ATS, paramilitary forces, and bomb disposal squads were positioned at strategic points like intersections, pontoon bridges, Akhara routes, and ghats, the government said.
Water police, trained divers, SDRF, NDRF, and flood company personnel closely monitored the Sangam and other ghats. CCTV cameras, drones, and real-time monitoring were enhanced at the Integrated Command Control Centre.
Public announcements were used to issue safety instructions, the government said. 36 marked parking zones would reduce walking distances to the ghats.
The senior officials had been supervising crowd control and security throughout the day, said the government. It added that devotees had been kept safe.
The government said it estimated a footfall of around five crore pilgrims through Monday. At break of dawn, the seers of various akharas, the ash-smeared Naga sadhus began their ceremonial journey towards the Triveni Sangam.
By 3 pm, nearly all akharas had bathed and returned to their camps. Helicopters showered rose petals upon the seers and pilgrims at the site considered among the most sacred by Hindus.
PTI Videos quoted Juna Akhara Peethadhishwar Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj saying, "The whole world is looking at India, at our social harmony and spiritual values." According to the tradition, three sects, Sanyasi, Bairagi, and Udaseen, took the holy dip in a pre-decided sequence.
Maha Kumbh authorities have come up with a schedule, under which the Amrit Snan (earlier 'Shahi Snan') started at 4 am. Akharas of the Sanyasi sect opened the ritual.
Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara, Taponidhi Panchayati Niranjani Akhara, Panchayati Akhara Anand, Panchdashnam Juna Akhara, Panchdashnam Avahan Akhara, and Panchagni Akhara have led the holy procession.
Each akhara was allotted a 40-minute window, with the first procession completing the ritual and returning to their camps by 8.30 am.
Next in line were the akharas of the Bairagi sect, whose bathing sequence began at 8.25 am. The processions included the All India Panch Nirvani Ani Akhara, All India Panch Digamber Ani Akhara, and All India Panch Nirmohi Ani Akhara.
After their turn ended at 12.35 pm, it was the last group, that is, the Udaseen sect, that entered the holy waters. It consisted of three groups: the Panchayati Naya Udaseen Akhara, Panchayati Akhara Bada Udaseen Nirvana, and finally, the last one to perform the snan was Panchayati Nirmal Akhara. It left the Sangam after 3 pm.
The akharas moved in processions, led by their mahants and mahamandaleshwars mounted on decked-up chariots carrying their 'Isht Dev' (cherished deity) in palanquins for the holy bath, while hundreds of Naga sadhus and saffron-clad seers thronged to join in.
The Naga sadhus were only wearing ash from head to toe and garlands of marigold and rose, while other seers wore their traditional ornaments and carried holy insignias as they marched towards the Sangam for the dip.
In a post on X, Adityanath congratulated all those participating in the Amrit Snan, saying, "Greetings to all saints, akharas, Kalpvasis, and devotees who have taken the holy dip." Devotees expressed their happiness as they took a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh.
Delhi resident Sarthak said, "I feel spiritual after coming here. My mind found peace after completing the snan." Niranjan Mishra from Pashupatinath in Nepal said he was happy to be at the Kumbh, adding that he found the arrangements and police assistance impressive.
"It was incredible to witness the (akhara) processions," said Shyam Prakash, another devotee.
Walking along with Naga sadhus and other seers, Crystal who came from Belgium said, "I feel very happy to be here. It's special and divine." She also said she was thankful to her friends who introduced her to Sanatan Dharma.
Meenakshi Giri from Mahanirvani Akhara, who hails from Russia, said, "This is a very holy moment of my life. I have been following Sanatan Dharma for the past 17 years." Held once in 12 years, the Maha Kumbh has been marked by an unmatched spiritual energy, with lakhs of devotees camping at the fairgrounds.
Astrologers believe that this year's 'Triveni Yog' is a rare celestial alignment which occurs once in 144 years, making the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela, which will go on till February 26, particularly auspicious.
So far, the highest single-day turnout was seen on Mauni Amavasya, where eight crore devotees bathed in the Sangam, the government said.
The state government said over two crore people took the dip on January 30 and February 1, while 3.5 crore people gathered on Makar Sankranti (January 14) and 1.7 crore on Paush Purnima (January 13).
Over 34.97 crore devotees have visited the Maha Kumbh since January 13 till end of Sunday, it added.
While Monday's is the last of the three Amrit Snans, two more special bathing dates fall on February 12 (Maghi Purnima) and February 26 (Mahashivratri) before the culmination of the world's largest spiritual congregation.
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