Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the second time in an hour following a stampede-like situation at the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela. The Prime Minister is closely monitoring the situation and has called for immediate support measures to ensure the safety of devotees.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reached out to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, expressing concern over the incident at the Sangam during the Mauni Amavasya celebrations. He assured full support from the Centre to manage the situation.
In response to the chaos, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged devotees to avoid attempting to reach the Sangam Ghat and instead take a dip at other nearby ghats. He also appealed for the public’s cooperation in following the administration’s instructions and emphasized that devotees should not pay heed to any rumors circulating about the event.
Meanwhile, Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya Ji released a video appeal urging devotees to refrain from insisting on taking a dip at the Sangam Ghat, given the large crowds. He advised devotees to stay at their camps for safety and not leave for the ghats under the current conditions.
“I appeal to all devotees that due to the large crowds in Prayagraj today, they should not insist on taking a holy dip only at the Sangam Ghat. For their own safety, they should stay at their camps,” Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya Ji said in the video.
The Akharas have also decided to call off the Holy Dip for the day, with the Akhara Parishad advising devotees to come back for the dip on Vasant Panchami, which falls on February 3.
Kailashanand Giri Maharaj, Chief of Niranjani Akhara, explained, “Given the huge and unavoidable crowds, we, along with all the acharyas, have decided not to perform the ‘snan’ today. We must keep in mind the difficulties faced by the common people. Our saints always pray for the well-being of all, so we have collectively decided to refrain from taking a holy dip today. We will instead take the dip joyfully on Vasant Panchami.”
Ravindra Puri, President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, expressed his sadness over the incident, stating, “In the public interest, we have decided that the Akharas will not participate in the Snan today. I appeal to the people to come on Vasant Panchami for the Snan instead of today. The incident happened because devotees were trying to reach Sangam Ghat, but they can take a dip wherever they see the Holy Ganga. It’s not the fault of the administration; managing crores of people is not easy. We should cooperate with the authorities.”
The incident took place as a massive crowd gathered at the Sangam Ghats for the ‘Amrit Snan’ on Mauni Amavasya, which is one of the most significant bathing days in the Mahakumbh Mela. It is expected to attract up to 100 million devotees. Other key bathing dates in the Mahakumbh include February 3 (Basant Panchami—Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri).
