Over 9 lakh people take a dip in Ganga on Mahashivratri
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Prayagraj: Around 9.70 lakh people dipped in the Ganga and the sacred Sangam here until 6 p.m. on Mahashivratri, which was also the final bathing day of the ongoing Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
According to a Magh Mela administration official, bathers began flooding into the Sangam region in the morning, and by 6 p.m., around 9.70 lakh people had taken the holy bath in the Ganga and Sangam – the trijunction of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
A large number of people offered garlands, flowers, milk etc. and performed ‘Abhishekam’ on the ‘Shivlings’ in various temples of the city.
About six lakh people had taken baths in the Ganga and Sangam till around 10 am.
According to the official, for the convenience of devotees, the length of the ghats was increased from 6,800 feet to 8,000 feet and a total of 12 ghats were built.
An adequate number of change facilities were also set up at all the ghats, he said.
Teerth Purohit (priest) Rajendra Mishra said it is believed Lord Shiv and Goddess Parvati got married on the day of Mahashivratri.
On this day, Bholenath (Lord Shiv) is worshipped and anointed with various holy items such as ‘belpatra’, ‘dhatura’, ‘abeer gulal’, and ‘ber’ among others.
The auspicious Mahashivratri puja muhurt was at 9.57 pm.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Magh Mela) Rajiv Narayan Mishra said elaborate security arrangements have been made at several temples in the city, including Mankameshwar, Someshwar Mahadev and Nagavasuki, and enough parking space has been earmarked.
With PTI inputs