Pilgrims flock temple town

Allahabad, Dec 28 (UNI) With the world famous Ardh Kumbh Mela starting January 3 next year on 'Paush Purnima' the pilgrims are thronging the city.

The Mela is starting on 'Paush Purnima', which is the first bathing festival of the month-long fair.

Some 'akharas' have already thronged the mela and set up camps on the sandy bed of river Ganga with their flags bearing their insignias flutttering high in the air. The tent city has come up in 7,151 bighas of land in Mela area with the basic facilities, including electricity, drinking water and sanitation.

With threat looming large on the coming event, the Mela administration is leaving no stone unturned to avoid any untoward incident and police has been pressed into round the clock service.

Mela officer Pragyan Ram Mishra said the Mela area has been divided into 11 sectors. The land has been allotted to 1,446 organisations, including akharas and saints. About 2,000 new applications have been received by the administration for the allotment of land.

He said 107 shops have been opened in the Mela area and the administration is going to issue 2 lakh temporary ration cards.

Eleven kerosene shops and 9 cooking gas agencies have also been set up.

While Indian Railway is going to run special trains, the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) would run 3,000 additional buses from various destinations for the convenience of the pilgrims.

The UP Tourism Department is setting up 40 swiss cottage colonies with international facilities in the Mela area. These cottages with two beds each will have all the modern facilities.

These cottages will have restaurants and other informations related to Allahabad and its neighbouring tourist spots.

The Ardh Kumbh Mela -- the biggest religious fair in the world would conclude on Maha Shivratri festival on February 16 -- the last bathing festival of the month long fair. The Mela administration is expecting 8 crore pilgrims from India and abroad.

UNI JL ATI AD HT1412