Amid elaborate arrangements, nearly 1.60 crore people took a dip at the Sangam till 12 pm on Wednesday on the occasion of Maghi Purnima during the Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.
The sacred bath began early Wednesday and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been monitoring the event from Lucknow.
With the Maghi Purnima bath, the month-long kalpavas will also end and around 10 lakh 'kalpvasis' will start leaving the Maha Kumbh.
The administration has requested them to follow traffic rules and use only authorised parking spaces.
While lakhs of devotees are headed to the Sangam Nose to take a dip, the Uttar Pradesh government in a statement said that by 12 pm, 1.59 crore people had taken the ritual dip at the Triveni Sangam and other ghats.
Flower petals were also showered on devotees from helicopter.
Adityanath has been monitoring the Maghi Purnima Snan since 4 am at the war room in his official residence in Lucknow, the statement said.
Cricket legend Anil Kumble took a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam along with his wife Chaitna Ramtirtha.
After arriving in Prayagraj on Tuesday, Kumble chose to partake in the holy dip on Magh Purnima, a day when no VIP protocols are observed.
He joined the devotees as a regular pilgrim, taking a boat to the confluence with his wife for the ritual.
Director General of Police Prashant Kumar, Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad and officials of CM Secretariat are also present at the war room, it said.
Maha Kumbh Mela DIG Vaibhav Krishna says, "Today is Maghi Purnima and more than one crore people have taken the dip. Our arrangements are quite good and police deployment is there at all places. Crowd is moving comfortably. Our SOPs are being followed."
Kumbh SSP Rajesh Dwivedi said, "The movement of devotees is going on smoothly and we are taking care of all (crowd) pressure points."
"We have made elaborate arrangements during the previous 'snan' on Basant Panchami too. Our arrangements have been further augmented this time, he said.
Talking about security arrangements in place for Wednesday's snan, the SSP said, "More deployment has been done at all the pressure points. Along with that, we are briefing people to ensure a smooth movement."
The Uttar Pradesh government also launched 'Operation Chaturbhuj' at the Maha Kumbh to ensure the safety of the pilgrims.
According to a statement, the initiative has strengthened security with advanced surveillance by the Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC), which monitored the event using 2,750 high-tech cameras, drones, and an anti-drone system for round-the-clock vigilance.
Mahakumbh Nagar SSP Rajesh Dwivedi said aerial surveillance and strict anti-drone measures have been put in place to ensure safety.
Meanwhile, Adityanath greeted everyone on the holy bathing festival.
'Heartiest greetings to all the revered saints, religious leaders, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come for the holy bath at the sacred Triveni in Maha Kumbh-2025, Prayagraj. May everyone's life be filled with happiness, prosperity and good fortune by the grace of Lord Shri Hari. May Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna and Maa Saraswati fulfill everyone's wishes,' he said in the post.
According to officials, the fair area has been declared a 'no vehicle zone' from 4 am on Tuesday, while the entire city will become a no-vehicle zone from 5 pm onwards, with an exemption for emergency and essential services.
To avoid traffic chaos, designated parking lots have been marked for public and private vehicles.
Prayagraj ADG Bhanu Bhaskar said special police forces have been deployed at all places where crowd management becomes challenging.
The special traffic plan will remain in force till the completion of the ritual to ensure safe evacuation of devotees from the fair area in case of any emergency.
Bhaskar said real time data is being collected from toll plazas and officials of neighbouring districts so that the number of vehicles coming and the routes can be monitored and regulated.
Srinivas, who has come from Andhra Pradesh to take a dip, said, "It feels good. The UP government has made good arrangements. Many thanks to Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi."
Another devotee, Gayatri, said, "I am very happy to be here at the Kumbh Mela on this auspicious occasion. The UP government has created a good atmosphere here. Actually being a Hindu, this is the first time I have really felt like an Indian. People have shown their religiousness and unity has been promoted."
The state transport department has arranged 1,200 additional shuttle buses, which will be available for the devotees every 10 minutes, the officials said.
The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26 with the final Amrit Snan' on the occasion of Mahashivratri.
A stampede during the Manui Amaswya 'Amirt Snan' on January 29 had left, according to the Uttar Pradesh government, 30 dead and 60 injured.
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