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Maghi Purnima dip today, month-long kalpvas to end
On this day, after taking the dip in the Ganga, donating sesame, blanket, shoes, umbrella, ghee, jaggery, clothes, gram and food etc is considered auspicious.
PRAYAGRAJ: Lakhs of pilgrims are expected to take a dip in the Sangam on ‘Maghi Purnima’, the fifth official bathing festival of the ongoing Magh Mela-2024 , marking the end of the month-long kalpvas on Saturday.
On Friday, Kalpvasis performed ‘havan pujan’ in their tents and resolved to return yet again next year.
The Magh Mela administration has completed all arrangements for a safe and secure Maghi Purnima Snan. Officials expect a crowd of around 20 to 22 lakhs on the occasion.
As per astrologers, the auspicious period for taking the dip will start from sunrise and continue till 5.56pm on Saturday.
“As a result, the devotees can take the dip and perform rituals from sunrise till evening on Saturday,” said Pt Diwakar Tripathi Purvanchali, director of Utthan Jyotish Sansthan, Prayagraj. “Maghi Purnima is one of the most auspicious days for Hindus, occurring on Purnima Tithi in the month of Magh. On this day, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, devotees hold Satyanarayan Vrat and offer prayers in reverence. An integral part of the rituals is taking a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Ganga. On Magha Purnima, also known as the full moon day, devotees pray to the moon god,” he explained.
On this day, after taking the dip in the Ganga, donating sesame, blanket, shoes, umbrella, ghee, jaggery, clothes, gram and food etc is considered auspicious.
Senior officials, including divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant and Magh Mela Adhikari Dayanand Prasad, reviewed the preparations and briefed the subordinates on their duties on Friday. “All preparations are complete for the bathing festival of Maghi Purnima. Entry and exit of pilgrims and visitors will be from different routes so that there is no overcrowding at any one given spot or route,” said Prasad.
Meanwhile, as pilgrims started pouring in from across the country, traffic diversions and restrictions also came into force from Friday morning and would remain in place till afternoon of February 25. Entry of vehicles into the Mela area was also stopped from 8 am on Friday, officials shared.
DIG Magh Mela Rajeen Narain Mishra said that security had been reviewed ahead of the bathing festival.
Bomb disposal squad and other teams carried out a checking drive at Sangam Nose, pontoon bridges, parking places and different ghats. Dog squads were pressed into service to search for suspicious people and objects, he added.
The officials also reviewed the blueprint to ease traffic congestion on roads leading to the mela area ahead of the Maghi Purnima snan.
Acknowledging that the majority of Kalpvasis would be returning home on Saturday, the police have designated specific routes for heading towards Sangam and returning from the site besides enforcing traffic diversions .
Pilgrims going to the Sangam will be able to reach the confluence for the dip through Sangam Upper Road via Kali Road from GT Jawahar via Kali Ramp. After bathing, they will return from Sangam area via Akshayvat Marg using the inter-locking route to Jagdish Ramp Marg and Triveni Marg intersection heading towards the parking lot located in the Parade area. Apart from this, devotees coming to the fair area via Hasimpur flyover and Bakshi Dam would do so via Nagvasuki Temple interlocking route to take the dip in the bathing ghats built between pontoon bridge number 6 towards Jhunsi and pontoon bridge number 5 .
Special parking arrangements in place
Devotees coming to Magh Mela will park their vehicles in plot No. 17 parking, Galla Mandi Daraganj parking, helipad parking, right and left parking on Kali Road and Old GT Cachar parking. Apart from this, vehicles coming from Mirzapur Rewa will be parked in Navprayagam parking next to leprosy intersection.
Vehicles coming from Jaunpur and Varanasi will be diverted from Katka intersection and parked at Old GT Kachar Parking and Trivenipuram Parking. Vehicles coming from Kanpur side will be parked at CMP Degree College, KP Inter College and CAV Inter College. Vehicles coming from Lucknow and Pratapgarh will be parked at Baghada STP parking before Colonelganj Inter College Ground and Nagvasuki Temple.
After the dip, the devotees will return with their luggage through specified routes. Kalpavasis going towards Kanpur, Lucknow and Pratapgarh will be able to go out of the fair area via Balson intersection using the Hasimpur flyover and Bakshi Dam by turning right from pontoon bridge number 4 and 6.
Kalpvasis going towards Varanasi and Jaunpur will be able to go out of the fair area via Andawa from Old GT Katka trisection.
Kalpavasis going from Mirzapur, Chitrakoot and Rewa will turn left from Tikar Mafi via Kali Sadak and flyover on GT Jawahar using the Shastri Bridge and exit the fair area via Bangar Dharamshala. Kalpvasis will also be able to go from the fair via bridge number 2 using Triveni Marg towards their home, out of the fair through the city areas as well.
