Prayagraj Magh Mela is set to witness an unprecedented turnout on Mauni Amavasya, with nearly 3.5 crore devotees expected to take a holy dip. The administration has expanded bathing ghats, strengthened crowd management, and enhanced security measures.
Massive Preparations in Place as Mauni Amavasya Draws Crores to Magh Mela
Prayagraj: During the ongoing Magh Mela in Prayagraj, approximately 35 million devotees are expected to bathe in the Ganga-Sangam on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya. In view of this massive gathering, the fair administration has made extensive preparations for security, traffic, and crowd management. The bathing began early morning, and large crowds of devotees are being seen at all major ghats, including the Sangam area.
To ease the crowd pressure, an additional bathing ghat, "Kali Part-2," has been expanded this time. Additionally, special bathing arrangements have been made in the Nagvasuki area for devotees coming from Lucknow and Ayodhya, to avoid additional pressure on the Sangam area. The administration is closely monitoring all major ghats, including Arail, Jhunsi, and Sangam Nose in Naini.
Magh Mela 2026: Over 10.3 Million devotees take holy dip on Makar Sankranti
Estimates indicate that 1.5 to 2 million devotees bathed on Friday, while administrative data indicates that 2.5 to 3 million people were present in the fair area by late evening. This includes a large number of pilgrims. Devotees from India and abroad continue to arrive in Prayagraj. Crowds are expected to increase further due to the holidays on Saturday and Sunday.
Fair officer Rishiraj stated that the entire fair area has been divided into nine circles. Sixteen holding areas have been created for crowd control, and parking has been arranged across approximately 250 hectares. Traffic diversion, AI-based surveillance, water transport planning, radio communication, firefighting, and disaster management have been fully activated.
Over 2.1 million devotees take holy dip by morning at Magh Mela
This year, the rare conjunction of Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga is occurring on Mauni Amavasya, which is considered extremely fruitful. The Amavasya Tithi begins at 11:53 pm on January 17th and lasts until 1:09 am on January 18th. Bathing, fasting, chanting, and meditating during this period are considered especially virtuous. The administration has appealed to devotees to maintain cooperation and restraint.
