Prayagraj, Feb 1 : Lakhs of devotees gathered at river ghats nationwide on Maghi Purnima, amid chants, drumbeats, and a vast display of faith, expressing their joy and spiritual satisfaction after taking a dip. The Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, saw an extraordinary turnout from the early hours, amid elaborate security and administrative measures.

At Prayagraj, pilgrims began arriving at the Sangam and other ghats from the previous night to take part in the sacred snan at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, marking one of the most significant bathing rituals of the ongoing Magh Mela.

Speaking to IANS, Magh Mela Officer Rishi Raj said there was a continuous influx of devotees since early morning.

â??Devotees have been arriving since last night and are taking holy dips at various ghats,â?? he said, adding that around 90 lakh pilgrims had taken the holy bath till 8 a.m., with numbers expected to rise further.

The district administration made extensive arrangements for crowd management, sanitation, drinking water and medical facilities, while traffic diversions were enforced across the city to ensure smooth movement.

Additional Police Commissioner Ajay Pal Sharma said comprehensive security measures were in place.

â??Police personnel have been deployed at all major ghats and entry points. Crowd movement is being continuously monitored through CCTV cameras and drones,â?? he said, adding that the situation remained peaceful with no untoward incident reported till the filing of this report.

Maghi Purnima also saw large gatherings at other major pilgrimage centres. In Ayodhya, devotees took a holy dip in the Saryu River, with many expressing satisfaction over the arrangements made by the administration.

â??We have received all facilities and thank the government for it,â?? a devotee said.

In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, thousands of pilgrims gathered at Har Ki Pauri to take a holy dip in the Ganga, while in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, devotees flocked to various ghats, with priests terming Maghi Purnima as one of the most auspicious bathing days of the year.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Bhagalpur in Bihar, where devotees took a dip in the Ganga at Ajgaibinath Dham, and in Narmadapuram in Madhya Pradesh, where large crowds gathered at Sethani Ghat on the Narmada River. In Raebareli, hundreds braved the biting cold to take a holy dip at Dalmau Ganga Ghat.

In Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, a huge crowd gathered at the Ganga ghats, with officials saying that around one lakh devotees had taken a holy dip by 10 a.m.

Meanwhile, the Railways said elaborate arrangements had been made in Prayagraj for Maghi Purnima, with special trains, additional ticket counters and a 24-hour mela control room set up to manage passenger movement during the main bathing day of the Magh Mela.

/IANS