A day before Makar Sankranti, a large number of devotees took part in the Ekadashi bathing ritual on Wednesday at the Sangam in Prayagraj, where Magh Mela is underway at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati.
Officials said around 60 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip in the Ganges by 5 pm on Wednesday on the occasion of Ekadashi. The Makar Sankranti festival will begin after midnight and continue for two days.
The fair administration has made extensive arrangements for the Makar Sankranti bathing ritual. Officials estimate that around 1 to 1.5 crore devotees will take a holy dip on Thursday, for which a 12,000-foot-long bathing ghat has been prepared.
According to Divisional Commissioner Soumya Agarwal, preparations for the bathing festival are complete. Water police, NDRF, SDRF, Flood Company PAC, and divers have been deployed at the bathing ghats. Police, PAC, RAF, BDS, and UP ATS commandos, along with intelligence agencies, are deployed at the fair.
Police Commissioner Joginder Kumar said that the entire fair area is being closely monitored through CCTV and drone surveillance, with special focus on suspicious individuals and objects. He added that there is no threat input for the fair.
The Police Commissioner said that elaborate security arrangements have been made at the fair venue.