Millions take holy dip on Mauni Amavasya
Several lakh of devotees took a holy dip in Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mystical Saraswati, on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya at Prayagraj during the 57day-long Magh Mela, which began on January 15 at Magh Mela ground. More devotees thronged different ghats at Varanasi, Garh Mukteshwar, Kanpur and other cities of Uttar Pradesh to take the holy dip on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya. According to mythology, taking holy dip with ‘ Maun Vrat’ (Silent State) washes away all sins and paves way for attaining ‘Moksha’. Chanting ‘Har Har Gange’ and religious shlokas, streams of people of all ages started reaching eight ghats at Sangam in Prayagraj on Wednesday night. Flowers were showered on devotees from Helicopters. Over 2 million have so far taken the holy dip which started at 12.19 pm and will continue till 11.48 pm Thursday night. Two more million are expected to take dip by evening. Elaborate safety arrangements were made by the state administration for the auspicious third royal bathing. The length of Ghats, where maximum people were expected, was increased to accommodate more people for bathing. Teams of NDRF, SDRF, Water Police and Civil Defence volunteers have been deployed to keep a watch on the event. –Srawan Shukla