Over 1 crore devotees expected for Makar Sankranti snan at Magh Mela

The second sacred bathing festival (snan) of Prayagraj’s Sangam-based Magh Mela will be held on Makar Sankranti, on January 15.

After the successful Paush Purnima snan, in which over 31 lakh devotees took a holy dip, the Mela administration has stepped up preparations for the upcoming Makar Sankranti Snan.

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Special arrangements have been made at the bathing ghats to ensure smooth movement, with parking facilities set up closer to the ghats so that devotees have to walk as little as possible. The administration estimates that more than 1 crore devotees will take the holy dip.

In Magh Mela-2024, on this festival, over 28.95 lakh devotees did snan. Seeing the estimate of almost three times more devotees’ arrival this time, the Mela administration has also prepared a mega plan for crowd management.

Magh Mela officer Rishiraj said that considering crowd management and smooth traffic, 42 temporary parking spaces have been developed, in which almost over 1 lakh vehicles can park. In Magh Mela 2025-26, a total of 12,100 feet in length of ghats construction was done.

According to the Mela officer, to ensure water availability in the Ganga in Magh Mela, daily 8000 cusec water is being released from Kanpur’s Ganga Barrage. Tapping of all 81 drains falling in both rivers in Prayagraj has been done. Continuous monitoring of the Ganga water is happening.

On the state’s instructions, in Magh Mela, special emphasis is given on cleanliness, security, and smooth transport. Mela officer said that for making Magh Mela open defecation free (ODF), odor-free, and Ganga zero discharge, approx 25,880 toilets, 11,000 dustbins, over 10 lakh liner bags, 25 suction vehicles, and 3,300 cleaning workers were deployed.

Magh Mela police superintendent Neeraj Pandey informed that in the entire mela area, 17 police stations and 42 police posts, 20 fire stations, 07 fire posts, 20 fire watch towers, 01 water police station, 01 water police control room, and 04 water police sub control rooms were established.

In addition to previously established CCTV cameras in the city and mela area, over 400 cameras, including AI-equipped cameras, are arranged for crowd monitoring, crowd density analysis, incident reporting, cleanliness, and security surveillance.