54-day Magh Mela set to begin in Prayagraj from Jan 15

Magh Mela, India's biggest annual religious fair, begins with the first bathing festival on the banks of Sangam. Measures have been taken to ensure a smooth event amid cold temperatures and the pandemic threat.

Magh Mela, the country’s biggest annual religious fair, will formally begin with the first official bathing festival Makar Sankranti on the banks of Sangam—the sacred confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati—on Monday.

Pilgrims arriving in Magh Mela site in Prayagraj on Jan 14. (Anil K Maurya/HT)

Seers and other pilgrims began reaching Prayagraj in large numbers from late Saturday evening itself. Officials, meanwhile, have taken several measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the 54-day fair amid cold waves that brought down mercury to 6.8 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, in the city on Sunday.

As per astrologers, the auspicious timing for bathing on Makar Sankranti will begin just before sunrise on Monday and last the whole day. “Pilgrims and seers will be able to take the holy dip and perform rituals from sunrise to sunset,” said Pt Diwakar Tripathi Purvanchali, director of Utthan Jyotish Sansthan, Prayagraj.

Leading the bathing festival will be senior seers, including president of Akhil Bhartiya Dandi Sanyasi Parishad Swami Brahmasham and its patron Swami Mahesharam among others. However, many noted seers are in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple and would not be taking the dip here at Sangam.

“Camps of most seers and organisations have already been set up and preparations for the first bathing festival are complete,” he added. Prasad further said 400 changing rooms for women devotees have also been set up on the bathing ghats.

Sangam hosts Magh Mela every year, Ardh Kumbh once every six years and Kumbh once every 12 years. This time, the annual fair will conclude with Maha Shivratri bathing festival on March 8. Although officials were not sure how many pilgrims may attend the fair in light of resurgence of the pandemic threat, they still expected an influx of 15 lakh people for the first bathing festival.

Even as pilgrims began to congregate on Sangam banks, many took the dip on Sunday itself making most of the shining sun during the day despite the sweeping cold wave. For cleanliness, around 1,800 public toilets and 1,200 urinals, have been set up in the mela area to keep the venue open-defecation free.

Another 1,2000 toilets have been set up in key camps, including those of the over 4,300 organisations taking part in the fair. The responsibility to keep the fair grounds clean is on over 2,000 sanitation workers. Two hospitals, each with a 20-bed capacity, have already been set up. Besides, 10 first-aid centres and 30 ambulances have been put in place in the five sectors of Magh Mela-2024 tent city spread across 786 hectares.

Six pontoon bridges, 3.5km long deepwater barricading, 18000 LED street lights, 21 power substations, 85km long pathway of chequered-plates, 14 police station and fire stations each have also been set up. Besides, 41 police outposts, 14 fire watch towers, five major parking lots, 13,700 potable water stand posts, 200 CCTV cameras and 5,000 security personnel have been deployed in the mela area.

Meanwhile, the entry of vehicles in mela area was stopped with effect from 8pm on Saturday. This restriction will remain in place till midnight of January 15 in light of the first bathing festival. Besides, entry of two and four wheelers in mela area will also remain restricted at all six major bathing festivals.

Main bathing festivals

January 15: Makar Sankranti

January 25: Paush Purnima

February 9: Mauni Amavasya

February 14: Basant Panchami

February 24: Maghi Purnima

March 8: Maha Shivaratri