Over one crore devotees take holy dip on Basant Panchami in Prayagraj

More than one crore devotees took a holy dip in the Ganga and at the Sangam on Friday on the occasion of Basant Panchami during the ongoing Magh Mela in Prayagraj, officials said.An official of the Prayagraj Mela Authority said pilgrims began arriving in large numbers at the Sangam area from late Thursday night, and by 8 am on Friday, around 1.04 crore devotees had performed the ritual bath in the Ganga and at the confluence.
Tirtha purohit Rajendra Mishra said Basant Panchami holds special significance in Prayagraj as the city is believed to be the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. He said the festival is traditionally observed by wearing yellow clothes, donating yellow items and worshipping Goddess Saraswati. Mishra added that the day also marks the onset of spring and is celebrated as a cultural event, with devotees applying gulal and performing rituals associated with the change of season.
Divisional Commissioner Saumya Agrawal said the Magh Mela has been organised across 800 hectares in seven sectors. She said more than 25,000 toilets have been constructed and over 3,500 sanitation workers deployed to maintain cleanliness across the mela area. A tent city has also been set up for devotees observing short-term kalpavas, offering facilities for meditation and yoga, she added.To ensure smooth movement of pilgrims, bike taxis and golf carts have been introduced within the mela premises, Agrawal said. Superintendent of Police (Magh Mela) Neeraj Pandey said more than 10,000 police personnel have been deployed across the area to ensure crowd management, safety and smooth traffic flow. He added that 42 temporary parking facilities with capacity for over one lakh vehicles have been created, while well-equipped bathing ghats have been developed for the Magh Mela 2025–26.