30 lakh take holy dip at Sangam

Ardh Kumbh Nagar, Feb 2 (UNI) An estimated 30 lakh pilgrims today converged at Sangam -- the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers -- to take holy dip on the auspicious occasion of Maghi Purnima.

According to mela officials, the bathing, which was still underway, was peaceful.

A string of VIPs, including Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Naveen Chandra Bajpai, and revenue board chairperson and former CS Neera Yadav visited Sangam with their families for the rituals.

Maghi Purnima also marks the end of kalpvas by over five lakh pilgrims, who lead a simple life for a month on the banks of Sangam.

Although 'Maghi Purnima' started at 1030 hrs, pilgrims had started the ritualistic bathing since early morning.

Maghi Purnima is the penultimate of the six bathing festivals of the 42-day-long Ardh Kumbh Mela. The last bathing is on February 16 (Mahashivratri).

All the 29 ghats had been opened to public, since there is no shahi snan today, Mela Officer Pragyam Ram Mishra told newspersons.

Earlier, a gathering of over one crore was expected, but the pilgrims' flow could not match the same.

After a month-long stay here, the saints, sadhus and kalpvasis would leave for their respective destinations from today, although the mela would continue till February 16 -- the Mahashivratri day.

Maghi Purnima marks the completion of their 30-day stay at the mela. The kalpvasis had descended at the mela site on the first full moon nearly a month ago.

The Purnima would be the fifth of the six bathing festivals during the Ardh Kumbh -- three of them being Shahi Snans.

During the period, when Magh Mela is held, a temporary township of tents comes up at Sangam.

Over a lakh tents are erected by the mela administration to enable the devotees live in the area during their stay. These temporary shelters/tents are called kalpvas.

Most of the devotees wear unstiched clothes during the kalpvas.

The clothes could be either white, yellow or saffron, as per their belief.

The timing of the Kumbh in the month of Magh is also astrologically significant. It is the time, when the sun moves into the Tropic Of Capricorn signifying 'Makar Sakranti', a time when Allahabad receives direct rays of the sun.

UNI