Third major holy dip begins at Kumbh on Vasant Panchami
What's the story
The third major holy dip, the Basant Panchami bathing ritual, started at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Sunday. The authorities have adopted a "zero-error" strategy to ensure safety during the event. The ritual started at 9:14am and will continue till 6:52pm on Monday. By noon on Sunday, nearly 90 lakh devotees had already participated in the ritual at Sangam.
Safety measures
Stampede tragedy prompts heightened vigilance at Kumbh
This heightened vigilance comes after a tragic stampede on January 29 during the "Mauni Amavasya Amrit Snan," which killed 30 and injured 60. On the day, over seven crore pilgrims had assembled for the ritual. Following the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked officials to ensure an error-free event this time.
Crowd control
Extensive preparations underway for major bathing day
District Magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand stressed on the scale of preparations, saying, "It is a major bathing day and since we witnessed over 3.5 crore visitors on Makar Sankranti (first "Amrit Snan" on January 14), we expect a similar or higher turnout." The "mela" area covers 44 "ghats" over 4,000 hectares or 40 square kilometers. A major part of these preparations is Operation 11, a special crowd-control plan with a one-way traffic system, strategic barricading, and increased police presence.
Crowd management
Special measures implemented to prevent overcrowding at Kumbh
To avoid overcrowding, devotees have been advised against loitering at the "ghats" after bathing and dissuaded from eating and drinking there. Special holding areas have also been created at important points to control crowds effectively. Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, appealed to pilgrims to visit other bathing sites apart from Sangam. "The entire five 'kos' of Prayagraj is as pious as Sangam," he said.
Traffic management
Strict 1-way route and no-vehicle zone implemented at Kumbh
A strict one-way route has been enforced across the "mela" area with entry through Kali Sadak and exit through Triveni Marg. The entire "mela" zone will remain a no-vehicle area till February 5 with diversions and barricades put up to prevent overcrowding. To manage the large influx of pilgrims, the Uttar Pradesh government has redeployed IAS officers Vijay Kiran Anand, Ashish Goyal, and Bhanu Chandra Goswami who successfully managed the 2019 Kumbh event.