UP: Devotees take holy dip at Saryu Ghat amid chilly weather on Basant Panchami

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 23 (ANI): Devotees in large numbers took a holy dip at Saryu Ghat amid the chilly weather and performed worship and prayers on the occasion of Basant Panchami on Friday.
A devotee from Khushi Nagar, Anjali Srivastava, said, "We have come here to take a dip in the river on Basant Panchami. Modi and Yogi Ji have done a great job so that Lord Ram has arrived... It's very cold, but the devotion of the devotees is so strong that the cold disappears."
Another devotee, Anju Devi, said, "Today is Basant Panchami, and we have come here for the holy bath. We had a lot of faith in coming here. We took a holy dip, performed puja, and also did the aarti of Ganga Maiya. The weather is very cold, but Ganga Maiya has given us strength. With such faith, what is a little cold to us?"
Meanwhile, in Prayagraj, Additional Police Commissioner Ajay Pal Sharma announced that high-tech surveillance, including AI-enabled cameras and drones, has been deployed to monitor the massive crowds expected for the holy dip on the occasion of Basant Panchami. The specialised monitoring system aims to manage the movement of lakhs of pilgrims arriving at the Triveni Sangam for the Magh Mela 2026.
Ahead of the preparations for the Basant Panchami Snan, Ajay Pal Sharma said on Thursday, "January 23 is the festival of Basant Panchami. Lakhs of devotees are expected to arrive here. For this, the inter-district diversion plan has been implemented from 12 midnight tonight. Heavy vehicles have been diverted, and strict monitoring is being maintained. The entire fair area is covered through our AI cameras and drones, teams of ATS, STF and ANTF are present in view of the bathing at Triveni; water police personnel have been deployed at different ghats, the diversion plan has come into effect from 12 midnight tonight; it is being ensured that devotees take the holy dip under complete security."
On the occasion of Basant Panchami, devotees continue to arrive in large numbers at the Magh Mela 2026 held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Magh Mela is a 45-day annual Hindu pilgrimage that started on January 3 and will go on till February 15, 2026, centring around the holy Triveni Sangam (Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati). As a significant event, it involves holy dips, beginning on Paush Purnima and ending on Mahashivaratri, featuring massive congregations. (ANI)