Ardh Kumbh last royal bath on 'Basant Panchami'

Ardh Kumbh Nagar, Jan 22: With the successful completion of 'shahi snan' (royal bath) during 'makar sankranti' and 'mauni amavasya' on January 15 and 19, the mela administration is now gearing up for the last shahi snan tomorrow on the occasion of 'Basant Panchami'.

With the good response of pilgrims in the previous bathings, authorities expect about twenty million devotees to take a dip at the Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati on basant panchami.

Basant panchami marks the beginning of basant (Spring season) and third shahi snan, important bathing festival of the month-long ardh kumbh mela.

The preparations for the last shahi snan have been complete and the pilgrims have started arriving from different places of the country, ardh kumbh mela officer Pragyan Ram Mishra told UNI here today.

The ''Awahan akhara'', one of thirteen akharas who participate in shahi snans, is expected to boycott the third royal bathing also tomorrow. This akhara has already boycotted two earlier shahi snan.

The ''Mahamandleshwars'' of different akharas sitting in guilded chariots and palanquins along with naga sadhus will reach the sangam at about 0600 hrs and take bath one by one. The mela admnistration has alrady fixed the timing of their departures from their respective tents.

During the 2001 Mahakumbh on January 26, the third and last shahi snan on basant panchami was marred due to a massive earthquake in Gujarat in which thousands of people were killed. The akharas had opted for a simple procession without any musical band to express their grief over the disaster.

With a pleasant and favourable weather this year the devotees have no problem in taking bath in the cold water of river Ganga.

The traffic restriction for the basant panchami snan will be imposed this evening at the mela area and in some areas of Allahabad.

Heavy vehicular traffic would be diverted to other routes to ensure smooth movement of the pilgrims.

About fifteen thousand personnels of PAC, CRPF, BSF have already been deployed in the mela area. Sniffer dogs, mine detection squad and bomb disposal squads have also been working round the clock.

Twenty nine close circuit cameras have already been installed in various corners of the mela to regulate the rush of the pilgrims, besides keeping a watch on the anti-social elements.

Most of the akharas and ashrams will return back to their repective places after the last shahi snan tomorrow. Almost all the sadhus and saints barring kalpvasis would leave the bank of the holy sangam within a day or two after tomorrows bathing.

About half million kalpvasis who are residing in the mela area since January 3 will return back after taking bath on 'maghi purnima' on February 2.

The last two bathing days of the Ardh Kumbh mela are maghi purnima on February 2 and 'mahashivratri' on February 16.

UNI