Magh Mela: Devotees take holy dip at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya

Lakhs of devotees thronged the Magh Mela in Prayagraj to take a holy dip at Sangam -- the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati -- on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. They also offered prayers and performed other rituals. Many devotees observe a day-long fast and some even observe 'moun vrat' by not uttering even a word throughout the day. Mauni Amavasya is also known as Maghi Amavasya. Devotees take a dip in the river Ganges to ward off evil deeds committed in the past. The holy bath ritual begins on Paush Purnima and ends on Magha Purnima day. In the wake of a large crowd, the authorities have made special arrangements to deal with the situation. The Magh Mela police deployed five drones, a surveillance network of 200 CCTV sets and over 5,500 policemen for the day. After reviewing the security arrangements, SP (Magh Mela) Dr Rajiv Narain Mishra said that the "security has been beefed up in and around mela campus in view of Mauni Amavasya snan on Tuesday".