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Magh Mela-2024: Over 50 lakh pilgrims likely to take dip at Sangam on Basant Panchami
The fourth major bathing festival of the ongoing annual religious fair of Magh Mela will take place on the banks of Sangam on Basant Panchami on Feb 14
The fourth major bathing festival of the ongoing annual religious fair of Magh Mela will take place on the banks of Sangam on Basant Panchami on Wednesday. The mela administration is expecting around 50 lakh pilgrims to take a holy dip on the occasion at the Sangam banks and has completed all preparations for it.
Pilgrims began pouring in from Monday evening and the trend continued all through the day on the eve of the bathing festival on Tuesday. As per astrologers, the auspicious period for taking the dip started at 7.48pm on Tuesday and would continue till 5.40pm on Wednesday.
“As a result, the devotees can take the dip and perform rituals from sunrise till evening on Wednesday,” said Pt Diwakar Tripathi Purvanchali, director of Utthan Jyotish Sansthan, Prayagraj. He said a very beautiful combination of planets is being formed on the holy occasion.
“While the judge among the planets, Shani Dev, being in his own house, will create a ‘Rajyoga’ named ‘Shash’ while transiting in Aquarius, whereas Mars, being present in its exalted sign Capricorn, will create a Rajyoga named Ruchak. Along with this, ‘Rajyoga’ named ‘Gajakesari’ of Jupiter and Moon will also be formed which is going to increase the importance of this day. Thus, this time a very good coincidence is being created which will give very beautiful benefits on the day of Saraswati Puja,” he claimed.
The officials, including Magh Mela Adhikari Dayanand Prasad, visited different ghats, pontoon bridges and other important locations in mela area and pointed out the drawbacks in arrangements, which may create problems in managing the crowd.
“All preparations are complete. Instructions have been given to maintain cleanliness on the ghats and to ensure adequate number of toilets and changing rooms,” said Magh Mela Adhikari Dayanand Prasad.
“A total of 12 temporary bathing ghats have been made ready for the pilgrims providing a total of 8,000 running feet of area for the visitors to take the dip,” he added.
State roadways would be operating special buses while the Railways will operate special trains to deal with the rush on the occasion. Meanwhile, traffic restrictions and diversions came into effect in the city from 5am on Tuesday and would remain in force till the night of February 17.
Traffic police officials said no entry points of the city are from Malak Harhar trisection, Mandar Mod, Dhumanganj, Sahson crossing, Transport Nagar trisection, Habusa Mod, Rampur crossing, Soraon bypass, Ghoorpur police station gate, Nawabganj bypass, Phaphamau and Andawa crossing from where heavy vehicles will be diverted.
Vehicles coming from Kanpur city will be diverted on the bypass made from Kokhraj in Kaushambi and will go directly towards Varanasi via Handia from the bypass. Vehicles going from Varanasi towards Kanpur will be diverted from Kokhraj towards Kanpur via Handia bypass road.
Heavy vehicles going from Kanpur to Banda via Prayagraj will be sent from Chaudgara intersection in Fatehpur to Banda via Chilla and Bandhwa trisection in Lalauli.
