JOIN USAn estimated five million devotees from across the country took a dip at the Sangam (the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers) at Allahabad on the fifth and last snan (bathing) on the occasion of Mahashivratri on Sunday amid tight security arrangements.
With Sunday’s bathing, the 55-day long fair, dubbed the biggest gathering in the world, came to an end.
Though the akharas (different sects of ascetics) and the kalpavasis (those who spend one month on the bank of the Ganga during fair) had already left the Kumbh Nagar, devotees in large numbers thronged the Sangam bank from Sunday morning.
Around 30 lakh devotees had already taken bath in the Sangam by noon and the number is expected to reach around 50 lakh by the time the bathing ends, the officials said.
Tight security arrangements had been made at Kumbhnagar as well as in Allahabad town. Security personnel in strength had been deployed in the town, officials said.
They added that senior officials were camping in the Mela area to monitor the movement of crowd and prevent gathering of large crowds at any particular spot.
The naga sadhus, who were the main attraction of the Mahakumbh, had left the Mela area after the third and last shahi snan (royal bath) on Basant Panchami on February 15 and had descended on Varanasi town. They took a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Mahashivratri there.
The Mahakumbh had lost its real charm and attraction after the “naga” ascetics had left. Naga sadhus are the biggest attraction of the Kumbh. Devotees throng their camps in large numbers to have a glimpse of them.