First Shahi Snan of biggest congregation today

| | Allahabad
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First Shahi Snan of biggest congregation today

Tuesday, 15 January 2019 | PNS | Allahabad

First Shahi Snan of biggest congregation today

Kumbh Mela-2019 is all set for its first Shahi Snan (royal bathing) of Makar Sankranti beginning in the wee hours on Tuesday. All the 13 recognised akharas will reach the Sangam with full grandeur and fanfare from their mela camps led by the Naga sadhus displaying skills with their traditional weapons.

The sun entered the Makar rashi on Monday itself but after sunset due to which the Makar Sankranti bathing will take place on Tuesday. The akharas will start reaching the Sangam, the confluence of the three rivers — Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati at 5.15 am. The first to reach the Sangam for the Shahi Snan will be the Maha Nirvani Akhara and the Atal Akhara followed by the Niranjani, Anand, Juna, Awahan, Sri Panch Agni, Nirvani Ani, Digambar Ani, Nirmohi Ani, Naya Udaseen, Bada Udaseen and Nirmal Akhara.

The last akhara has been given the time slot of 2:40 pm. The other Shahi Snans will be Mauni Amavasya on February 4 and Basant Panchami on February 10 besides important bathing occasions of Poush Purnima on January 21, Maghi Purnima on February 19 and Mahashivratri on March 4.

Kumbh happens to be the biggest religious and spiritual congregation on earth. The Kumbh-2019 has a special significance owing to the personal interest taken by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to convert it into an unforgettable event and the Government had opened its coffers to beautify Prayagraj city and the Sangam area besides providing better facilities to the devotees and saints.

Besides pumping in `2,800 crore for the Kumbh and the beautification of Prayagraj the State as well as the Union Governments presented some precious gifts to this ancient Sangam City.

First the Government rechristened Allahabad as Prayagraj to recall its existence in the Vedic period. Opening the Akshayvat darshan for all is the gift which was long pending. Now people will go for the darshan of the original Akshayvat situated inside the fort after 450 years.

The construction of a civil terminal by the Ministry of Civil Aviation is another big achievement which has increased the number of flights from Prayagraj.

The city has been provided 10 flyovers, nine railway overbridges and six underpasses besides widening and beautification of roads and 32 crossings. The 3,200-hectare area of the mela has been divided into 20 sectors with 20 pontoon bridges for better connectivity. This has been done for the first time. Under the Paint my City Project different walls on the streets had been given a beautiful look and for this, students of Fine Arts had been hired. According to the astrological calculations Makar Sankranti will fall on January 15 but there are lakhs of devotees who followed the tradition of taking a dip in the Sangam waters on January 14. This unexpected crowd of bathers put the officials on their toes.

The official figure of bathers on Monday was 33 lakh but some senior citizens who have been witnessing the Kumbh for the past several decades said that the crowd there was thin. They expect crores of devotees on Mauni Amavasya day on February 4.

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