Mahakumbh Nagar:

Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri on Wednesday said that due to the stampede-like situation at Maha Kumbh, the seers have called off their Mauni Amavasya’s Amrit Snan.

A stampede-like situation broke out at Sangam earlier on Wednesday, where several people, including women and children, suffered injuries.

“You would’ve seen what happened in the morning, and that’s why we have decided to… All of our saints and seers were ready for the ‘snan’ when we were informed about this incident. That’s why we have decided to call off our ‘snan’ on ‘Mauni Amavasya’,” Mahant Ravindra Puri told PTI Videos.

As per tradition of the Kumbh Mela, Akharas belonging to the three sects ‘Sanyasi, Bairagi, and Udaseen’ take the holy dip in a set sequence following a majestic, awe-inspiring procession to the Sangam Ghat.

The seers and saints, including the ash-smeared Nagas, then immerse themselves in the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers on special bathing dates like the Mauni Amavasya, which are marked by special celestial alignments and considered holy among Hindus.

On Tuesday, a day before the Mauni Amavasya, nearly 5 crore people reached for the dip during the fair, according to estimates of the Uttar Pradesh government, which expects the crowd to be around 10 crore on Wednesday. 

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Bhadohi (UP):

Like lakhs of people who thronged Prayagraj on Sunday to have a holy dip at the Sangam during the Maha Kumbh, 22-year-old Pravesh Yadav too arrived in the city to take part in the ritual bathing that many believe washes off one’s sins.

However, destiny had other plans for Yadav, who was allegedly involved in liquor smuggling and had evaded arrest since July 2023, as he was apprehended by cops in the Civil Lines area of Prayagraj owing to strong police surveillance, a police official said on Sunday.

Elaborating further about the arrest, Superintendent of Police of Bhadohi Abhimanyu Manglik said that Pravesh Yadav is a resident of Alwar district of Rajasthan and was absconding for one-and-half years.

Mangalik said during the checking of vehicles on National Highway-19 on July 29, 2023, adulterated liquor meant for smuggling from Alwar to Bihar was recovered and Pradeep Yadav and Raj Domoliya were arrested from the Unj police station area in Bhadohi. However, Pravesh Yadav escaped from the spot. All are residents of Alwar district and were involved in smuggling illegal liquor in Bihar for a long time., he alleged.

A case was registered against them under sections 419 (Punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 272 (Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 273 (Sale of noxious food or drink) and 207 (Fraudulent claim to property to prevent its seizure as forfeited or in execution) of the IPC, Excise Act and Gangster Act, police said.

The officer said that Yadav reached Prayagraj to take a holy dip but was arrested by police due to effective surveillance. 

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Lucknow:

Nearly 50 lakh devotees took a dip at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers in Mahakumbh Nagar on Sunday, a day ahead of the first bathing festival, Paush Purnima, authorities said.

Men, women, elderly individuals, children, and a large number of saints and seers converged at the Sangam to perform the sacred ritual, seeking blessings, an official statement issued in Lucknow on Sunday said.

On Saturday, 33 lakh devotees visited the Mela to bathe in the Sangam, Director Information Shishir said, adding that in past two days over 85 lakh people had bathed in the river.

This year, the Mahakumbh is expected to witness participation from more than 45 crore people, making it one of the largest such gatherings in history, it said.

All 13 akharas –- considered the representatives of Sanatan Dharma — have set up their camps in zones designated to them, ahead of the commencement of the 40-day festival.

On Sunday, Shri Panchayati Akhara Bada Udasin completed its entry into the camp area, marking the culmination of the akhara processions.

The first Amrit Snan (auspicious bath) is scheduled to take place on January 14 on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, during which all akharas will take ceremonial dips in an ordained sequence.

Officials remain on high alert, ensuring arrangements for crowd management, sanitation, and public safety are in place. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)