A Wave of Faith at the Sangam for Shattila Ekadashi and Makar Sankranti Bath

Over 8.5 million devotees take the holy dip on January 14 – Rishiraj, Magh Mela Officer

Heightened vigilance by the administration amid massive crowds; three control centres set up for the first time

1,800 buses operated by Roadways; QRT teams on alert

Railways coordinate with Mela administration: 8 ring rail services, extended halts for 16 trains, and 18 passenger shelters with a capacity of 1.20 lakh prepared

Prayagraj, January 14: The second major bathing festival of the Magh Mela at the Sangam, Makar Sankranti, is officially marked by the Magh Mela administration on January 15. However, a massive surge of devotion was witnessed across various ghats of the Sangam on January 14 itself. Owing to the observance of Shattila Ekadashi and the commencement of the auspicious Makar Sankranti bathing period in the afternoon, lakhs of devotees began arriving at the ghats from the early hours of Wednesday to take the sacred dip.

According to Magh Mela Officer Rishiraj, by noon itself the number of devotees had reached 5 million. Following the traditional belief that considers January 14 as the day of Makar Sankranti, the total number of pilgrims taking the holy bath crossed 8.5 million by Wednesday evening.

Expanded arrangements and public facilities

Anticipating the huge influx of devotees, the Magh Mela administration had already strengthened public amenities across the mela area. As per officials, 24 bathing ghats have been constructed for pilgrims, with the total length of ghats extended to 3.69 kilometres. Dredging along the riverbanks, carried out during the Mahakumbh preparations, has further increased the usable bathing area.

For the convenience of women pilgrims, more than 1,200 changing rooms have been set up along the ghats. For the first time, canopy-shaped, foldable temporary changing rooms have also been installed near permanent ghats. To ensure continuous monitoring of devotees, three control centres have been established — one at the I-Triple-C, the second at the Police Lines, and the third at the District Collectorate.

Roadways and Railways in action for smooth movement and crowd management

To ensure hassle-free movement of pilgrims, both Roadways and the Railways are working in close coordination with the Mela administration. Prayagraj District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma stated that 1,800 Roadways buses have been deployed for the occasion. Quick Response Team (QRT) units of Roadways are also on standby to handle any emergency situations.

From the Railways’ side, eight trains are being operated under the Ring Rail Service throughout the mela period. For added passenger convenience, 16 trains have been given a temporary additional halt of two minutes at Prayagraj Rambagh and Jhunsi stations. To manage crowds, a single-entry system has been implemented at station entry points.

At the Prayagraj Junction, 18 passenger shelters with a combined capacity of 1.20 lakh passengers have been set up. Additionally, 1,186 CCTV cameras have been installed across the railway station premises to ensure effective surveillance and crowd control.