The third Amrit Snan of the Mahakumbh Mela is set to take place today on the auspicious occasion of Vasant Panchami. According to reports, devotees from over 20 countries have already gathered at the Sangam for the holy ritual. The Uttar Pradesh government has implemented stringent security measures to ensure a safe and smooth event.
The first to arrive at the Sangam for the Vasant Panchami Amrit Snan were the ascetics of the Panchayati Niranjani Akhara, followed by the Kinnar Akhara. The largest Akhara, Juna Akhara, and Awahan Akhara are also participating in the sacred bath. A total of 13 Akharas will take turns performing the ritual at their designated time slots. Seeking blessings and spiritual merit, lakhs of devotees have gathered at the holy confluence.
Long queues of devotees, stretching up to 10 kilometers, can be seen along the pathways leading to the Sangam. Pilgrims are walking approximately 8 to 10 kilometers from Prayagraj Junction to reach the site. Due to the heavy crowd, darshan at the Hanuman temple has been temporarily restricted. All roads in the fair area have been designated as one-way.
To manage the massive gathering, over 60,000 security personnel have been deployed, along with helicopters for aerial surveillance. Monitoring will be conducted via helicopters at dawn, and 2,750 CCTV cameras have been installed. More than 100 newly appointed IPS officers have also been stationed at the Mela to handle crowd management.
As per estimates, by 4 AM on Vasant Panchami, around 16.58 lakh devotees had already taken the holy dip. Since January 13, a total of over 34.97 crore people have attended the Mahakumbh Mela. Today alone, the Uttar Pradesh administration expects 3 to 4 crore devotees to take part in the ritual bathing.
Following the incidents that occurred during the second Amrit Snan, the state government has enforced strict security measures for today’s event. The special security operation for the Amrit Snan on Vasant Panchami has been named “Operation Eleven.” From Sunday morning onwards, a continuous influx of pilgrims has been observed in Prayagraj.
