New Delhi, Feb 12 : Thousands of devotees gathered at the Ganga ghats in Varanasi on Wednesday to take a holy dip on Maghi Purnima.

Taking a dip in the sacred water bodies is believed to purify sins and bestow divine blessings.

Pilgrims have been arriving since early morning, forming long queues stretching from the ghats to Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

T. Sarvan, ADC, Kashi Zone, stated, "Today is the day for the Maghi Purnima bath, and the footfall in Varanasi is increasing. Considering this, we are diverting traffic from Godolia and Ramapura towards Hasi. Drone surveillance is being used to monitor crowd movements and ensure proper management to prevent pressure build-up."

A devotee shared his spiritual experience, saying, "The glory of the Ganga is praised across the three worlds. Taking a dip today purifies us of sins and troubles. It's an incredibly divine experience."

Adding to the religious fervour, Ghat Priest Vivekanand Pandey emphasised the rare celestial alignment occurring this year, stating, "Today, we are observing Maghi Purnima on the full moon day of the Magh month. Another significant aspect is that after 144 years, Maha Kumbh is being observed. Devotees from all around are taking a dip in the Ganga, performing rituals for their ancestors with the pandits."

The heavy footfall has led to a waiting time of 4-5 hours for darshan at Kashi Vishwanath Temple. A devotee described the arrangements as commendable, saying, "It's truly a wonderful experience, and Lord Bholenath's blessings are immense. We had darshan in just two hours. The arrangements are excellent, and even though the crowd is huge, everything is managed very well."

To prevent overcrowding, police have deployed drones for real-time crowd monitoring and are redirecting devotees to alternative ghats. Despite the massive turnout, the administration is ensuring seamless crowd control and safety, making Maghi Purnima in Varanasi a well-organised event.

/IANS