About 25.5 lakh take dip in Ganga, Sangam till noon on Basant Panchami

Prayagraj (UP): Around 25.5 lakh people took a dip in the Ganga and at the holy Sangam till noon on Wednesday on the occasion of Basant Panchami, officials said.

Devotees including women, children and the elderly have been coming to the Magh Mela area from early morning, they said.

A Magh Mela administration official said that despite Tuesday's rain a cloudy sky and cold weather this morning, about 25.5 lakh people took the holy dip to mark Basant Panchami, the fourth bathing festival of Magh Mela in the Sangam city till 12 noon.

He said the length of the ghats has been increased from 6,800 feet to 8,000 feet this time for the convenience of people, and a total of 12 ghats have been built with adequate change facilities.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Magh Mela) Rajiv Narayan Mishra said that elaborate security arrangements have been made in the Mela area with 300 CCTV cameras and many AI-based cameras being operational and their feed being sent to the Integrated Command Control Centre.

If any suspicious object or person is seen, immediate action is taken, he said.

Bhandaras are being organised on a large scale in the camps of saints and sages in the Magh Mela area.