Police stop devotees 300 kms away from Maha Kumbha area

Lakhs of devotees stuck in one place due to traffic jam

– Sachin Kaulkar, Special Correspondent, Prayagraj

Prayagraj – There is an enormous rise in the number of devotees visiting the ‘Triveni Sangam’ for a holy dip at Maha Kumbha, creating severe stress on the administration for controlling the mobs of devotees. In the last three days, 15 lakh vehicles have reached Prayagraj and even now, 8,000 vehicles are reaching Prayagraj every hour. The Police are instructing devotees to stop 300 kms away from Prayagraj. A video has become viral about this incident on social media.

Scene at Prayagraj

• The last holy dip at ‘Triveni Sangam’ was on Vasant Panchami at Prayagraj. The administration, therefore, assumed that the flow of devotees would decrease; however, the number of devotees visiting in the last ten days has incredibly increased. 1.1 crore devotees had a holy bath at the ‘Triveni Sangam’ on 09.02.2025. It gives an idea about the increase in number of devotees.
• Most of the ‘Akharas’ have now left Maha Kumbha Kshetra. Still, the number of devotees coming for the Magh Pournima holy bath on 12.02.2025 is increasing.
• Police had to stop lakhs of devotees in one place owing to traffic jams.
• There are seven ways to enter Prayagraj; but it was taking visitors 8 hours to travel 5 km.
• It generally takes 12 hours to reach Delhi from Prayagraj. Due to traffic jams, however, it is taking more than 30 hours to reach Delhi now.
• There are long queues on the roads to Rewa, Chitrakoot, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Lakshmanpuri, Pratapgarh, Kanpur, Kaushambi from Prayagraj.

Alarming crowd on all railway stations in Uttar Pradesh

Not only on roads but there are burgeoning crowds even on all railway stations of Uttar Pradesh. There are huge crowds on all railway stations in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, etc. Travellers are entering reserved and air-conditioned compartments with ordinary tickets, creating problems for passengers with reserved seats and there are no  ticket checkers found at the railway stations.

Mammoth crowds at Varanasi and Ayodhya

Devotees are going to Varanasi and Ayodhya from Prayagraj; therefore, there is a flood of devotees even at these places. ‘Shriramjanmabhoomi Nyas’ had appealed to devotees against going to Ayodhya due to inadequate facilities; still devotees are going to Ayodhya.

Editorial Perspective

Behaviour of undisciplined devotees not following the rules and paying total disregard to the instructions given by the Government is spoiling the image of India in the world.