Lakhs of devotees have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam at the Maha Kumbh in the early hours, marking the beginning of the third ‘Amrit Snan’ on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami. The ritual started with the ash-smeared Naga Sadhus taking the dip at the break of dawn followed by other devotees. A government official said over 16 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip till 4 am while the overall figure of those who took the dip since the beginning of Maha Kumbh stood at nearly 35 crore.
The authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj overseeing the arrangements expect at least three crore people to take the holy dip today. To ensure enough personnel are available to manage the crowd – days after 30 people were killed and 60 were injured in a stampede due to crowding at the Maha Kumbh venue – the authorities have engaged every available hand.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been monitoring the situation since 3.30 am from the “war room” at his Lucknow residence, said officials.
At least 270 trainee Indian Police Service (IPS) officers including 77 women officers have arrived in Prayagraj to help out. The authorities have restricted VVIP movements a day before any major snan (bath) day and on the day of the snan. People will be encouraged to take the holy dip at any of the ghats and not insist on going to any particular one as it may lead to crowding.
A continuous aerial survey of the Maha Kumbh venue will be conducted to estimate the crowd size. So far, over 33 crore people have taken the holy dip at the Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13 and will end on February 26.
While Basant Panchami marks the third and the final amrit snan date at the Maha Kumbh, two more special sans are coming up this month – February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and 26 (Mahashivratri).
The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport (UPSRTC) has deployed a dedicated fleet of shuttle and reserved buses to manage the massive influx of devotees for Basant Panchami. The UPSRTC said it has reserved 2,500 buses, operating from four temporary bus stations, to ensure a smooth and orderly return of devotees, it said in a statement.
At least 1,500 buses will come from Jhunsi, followed by 600 from Bela Kachhar for Lucknow-bound passengers, 300 from Nehru Park for Kanpur-bound travelers, and 100 for tourists heading to Mirzapur and Banda.
Additionally, 550 shuttle buses will run every two minutes between the temporary bus stations and key locations near Maha Kumbh.
Yogi Adityanath directed all doctors across Mahakumbh Nagar and the entire division to remain vigilant to ensure the safety and well-being of millions of devotees, the UP government said in a statement.
“Over 1,200 medical personnel are fully prepared in Mahakumbh Nagar to provide immediate assistance. The entire medical force will remain stationed at the fairground and will only be relieved after February 6. Additionally, a backup plan has been put in place to address any emergencies,” the government said in a statement.
Dr Gaurav Dubey, the nodal officer for medical services at the Maha Kumbh, said the government’s emergency response system, particularly ambulance services, is playing a crucial role.
“In case of need, patients will be transferred to Swarup Rani Nehru Hospital or Tej Bahadur Sapru Hospital (Bailey Hospital). Medical teams across Prayagraj, the division, and Mahakumbh Nagar are fully prepared,” Dr Dubey said.
“The chief minister has instructed that no doctor or medical staff should leave their post until February 5. Over 1,200 doctors and paramedical staff have been deployed for the event,” he added.
The UP government said ensuring the safety and health of devotees is Yogi Adityanath’s “top priority”.