Prayagraj,

14 Jan (HS): According to authorities, more than ten lakh pilgrims bathed in

the Ganga and at the Sangam here on Wednesday morning as part of the Makar

Sankranti festivities. While much of the

country celebrates the harvest festival on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh will

commemorate Makar Sankranti on Thursday. Makar Sankranti, the Magh Mela's

second main bathing event, is set to take place Thursday. According to

Superintendent of Police (Magh Mela) Neeraj Pandey, devotees flocked to ghats

in the early hours. By 6 a.m., almost ten lakh devotees had taken a plunge in

the Ganga at the Sangam. Pandey expects the number of pilgrims to reach one

crore to 1.5 crore by Wednesday evening on Makar Sankranti.

Over

10,000 cops have been deployed throughout the mela region to guarantee the

safety and smooth flow of traffic, he added. According to officials, over 31

lakh devotees took a holy plunge at the Paush Purnima bathing festival, and

more than 28.95 lakh pilgrims participated in the Paush Purnima bath during

Magh Mela 2024. Rishiraj, a Magh Mela officer, stated that 42 temporary parking

facilities were built up this year to accommodate crowds and maintain smooth

traffic flow, with a capacity to park over one lakh cars. He stated that a

total of 12,100-foot-long bathing ghats had been built for Magh Mela 2025-26,

complete with basic amenities such as changing rooms and toilets.

To

guarantee proper water levels in the Ganga during the mela, 8,000 cusecs of

water are released everyday from the Ganga barrage near Kanpur, according to

the official. The Magh Mela is a 44-day spiritual event. Every year during the

Hindu holy month of Magh (January-February), the fair takes place at the

Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the legendary

Saraswati. Magh Mela Prayagraj 2026 will place from January 3 to February 15. Kalpavas

and the Panchkosi Parikrama are two of the magnificent Magh Mela's age-old

customs. Key'snan' dates for this Magh Mela include January 15 (Makar

Sakranti), January 18 (Mauni Amavasya), January 23 (Vasant Panchami), February

1 (Maghi Purnima), and February 15 (Maha Shivratri).

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi