The Magh Mela in Prayagraj is witnessing a large gathering as devotees gather at the Sangam for a holy dip on Makar Sankranti, coinciding with Shattila Ekadashi. By Wednesday morning, around 15 lakh devotees had already taken the holy dip, ranging from young children to elderly citizens. This year, it is expected that over 2 crore pilgrims will participate in the event, blending religious devotion with India’s cultural heritage.
Despite the cold weather, devotees from various cities like Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Mathura have joined in the ritual, emphasizing the significance of tradition in addition to spirituality. Security measures have been heightened to manage the large crowds, including a ban on four-wheeler entry into the mela areas since January 13 for smoother movement.
The administration has deployed mounted police, foot patrolling teams, water police, and RAF personnel throughout the mela premises to ensure safety. Barricading and diversion plans are in place to regulate the flow of pilgrims, with AI-based cameras monitoring crowd movements in real-time. However, the festivities faced a setback with fire incidents occurring at the mela for the second time in 24 hours, with a fire breaking out in tents at Sector 4’s Brahmasthan area on Wednesday evening.
Chief Executive Officer Animesh Singh reported that two tents were completely destroyed, and a third was partially damaged, with no casualties. The cause of the fire is suspected to be a lit lamp used for worship. The previous day, a massive fire at Sector 5’s Narayan Shukla Dham camp destroyed 15 tents and 20 shops, with authorities attributing the incident to a short circuit that took hours to control. The Magh Mela, which commenced on January 3, will run until Maha Shivaratri on February 15, attracting significant participation despite the fire incidents, showcasing the unwavering faith of millions of pilgrims who gather annually at the Sangam.
