By 8 am, over 6 lakh devotees take holy dip at Sangam on first day of Magh Mela: Official

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 3 (ANI): Over six lakh devotees have taken the holy dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on the auspicious occasion of Paush Purnima, the first day of the Magh Mela, by 8 am on Saturday.
High-security arrangements have been put in place by the Prayagraj administration as the number of devotees continues to rise on the first day of Magh Mela on Saturday.
To ensure safety and maintain law and order, mobile patrol squads of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have been deployed across the Mela area.
The ATS teams conduct regular surveillance and patrols in sensitive zones, closely monitoring crowd movements and suspicious activities. The heightened security measures aim to ensure a safe environment for pilgrims from across the country who are participating in the religious congregation.
Magh Mela Adhikari, Rishi Raj said, "The Magh Mela begins today on the occasion of Paush Purnima Snan. We are now at the Sangam area, and all the arrangements are in place. We have sufficient changing rooms available, and security and monitoring are in place. By 8 AM today, 6 lakh 50 thousand devotees have taken a holy dip at the Sangam."
The Magh Mela of Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), which takes place at the divine Triveni Sangam, the place of confluence of the sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the legendary Saraswati, is one of the largest pilgrimages in India.
The pilgrimage is named after the Hindu month of Magh, which typically falls in January-February.
The Prayag Magh Mela is a 45-day pilgrimage that begins on Paush Purnima (the full moon day of the month of Paush) and ends on Mahashivaratri, spanning the entire month of Magh.
The mela commences on the full moon day of Paush with the snan (ritual dip). Over the course of the fair, there are a total of six ritual snans, viz. on Paush Purnima, Makar Sankranti (beginning of Magh), Shattila Ekadashi (day of the waning of moon- Krishna Pakhsa- in the month of Magh), Mauni Amavasya (the no moon day of Magh when people take vow of silence), Basant Panchami (also called Magha Shukla Panchami, the fifth day of the waxing phase of moon in Magh), Achala Saptami (seventh day of waxing phase of moon in Magh, celebrated as the birthday of Lord Surya), Jaya Ekadashi (the day of fasting observed on the eleventh day of the waxing phase of moon in Magh) and Magh Purnima (the full moon day in Magh).
The annual Magh Mela transforms into the Kumbh Mela every fourth year at Prayag, and into the Maha Kumbh Mela every twelfth year, drawing millions of devout pilgrims to the grand event. (ANI)