Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 18 (ANI): Security arrangements have been strengthened at the Sangam Ghat in Prayagraj as a large number of devotees gathered to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya during the early hours on Sunday.
According to police authorities, approximately 50 lakh devotees took the holy dip at the Sangam between 6 pm yesterday and 4 am today.
The ritual bath began at midnight amid heavy footfall at the ghats.
Speaking to ANI, Prayagraj Police Commissioner Jogendra Kumar said that despite thick fog in the region, devotees from several areas continued to arrive in large numbers.
He said, “…Proper security arrangements have been made…Devotees are coming in large numbers to take a holy dip. There has been thick fog since midnight, despite that we are witnessing heavy footfall.”
Officials said that a heavy police deployment has been put in place to ensure the safety of devotees and the smooth conduct of the ritual bathing on the auspicious occasion.
Prayagraj Divisional Commissioner Saumya Agarwal said that appropriate arrangements have been made to maintain both safety and sanctity at the Sangam.
“Proper arrangements have been made, and all the officials are present at the spot. Nearly 50 lakh devotees have bathed at Sangam till 4 AM,” she told ANI.
Earlier, Magh Mela Officer Rishi Raj briefed on the extensive arrangements made at the ghats for Mauni Amavasya.
“For the Mauni Amavasya snan, we have constructed ghats stretching over three and a half kilometres. We appeal to the devotees in all seven sectors to reach the nearest ghat and take a holy dip. We have a sufficient number of changing rooms, a public address system, monitoring through the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), and our traffic management plan is in effect,” he said.
Rishi Raj added that multiple security agencies have been deployed to manage the crowd and prevent any inconvenience to devotees.
“Our water police, police personnel, and RAF (Rapid Action Force) are all deployed on the spot to ensure that devotees do not face any inconvenience, and we will take action as the crowd increases. Three to four crore people are expected, and as more people arrive, we will keep updating the figures,” he further said.
District Magistrate of Prayagraj, Manish Kumar Verma, also spoke about the large turnout and the enthusiasm among devotees.
Speaking to ANI, Verma said, “The ‘snan’ for Mauni Amavasya has already begun. We have developed a ghat approximately 3.5 kilometres long. There is a lot of enthusiasm, and a large number of people have arrived. Our estimate is approximately 3 to 3.5 crore devotees will take a dip on Mauni Amavasya today.”
Officials said that crowd management measures, traffic control plans, and continuous monitoring are in place to ensure the smooth flow of devotees throughout the day.
Devotees expressed satisfaction with the arrangements at the Sangam. One devotee told ANI, “I am feeling very good after taking a holy dip. Proper arrangements have been made here.” (ANI)