Haridwar: Thousands of devotees thronged the holy river Ganga in Uttarakhand's Haridwar to take a dip on the occasion of Basant Panchami on Wednesday.
Ankush Sharma, a devotee, shared his sentiments, stating, "Basant Panchami is a sacred festival with unique significance, but taking a holy dip in the Ganga in Haridwar adds a special sanctity. Anytime you perform rituals here throughout the year, you accumulate immense blessings. Even if it's freezing, I will take this opportunity to immerse myself in Mother Ganga. I am thoroughly enjoying the experience. We also witnessed the Ganga Aarti, and all I wish from Mother Ganga is for everyone to keep smiling and remain happy." Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, preparations for Basant Panchami were underway, overcoming challenges posed by cold weather and overnight rain. DIG Magh Mela Prayagraj, Rajeev Narain Mishra, provided insights into the situation, stating, "On the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami, despite cold weather and overnight rain, a significant number of people are turning out to take a holy dip. The bathing process is proceeding smoothly. Initially, boat movement was restricted due to strong winds, but considering the weather, boat services have now been resumed. Separate paths for the arrival and departure of boats have been designated for safety reasons. If the Basant Panchami weather worsens, boat services will be promptly halted." Mishra assured the public of smooth proceedings, mentioning the meticulous safety measures in place, including the presence of security forces. "ATS commandos, RAF, STF, bomb disposal squads, and female police officers are actively present and engaged. We have a continuous watch through a closed-circuit TV at our integrated control command centre. Drones are being used as needed. Constant communication is maintained with devotees through the public address system. The participation of NGOs is also ensured. All arrangements are being carried out meticulously and efficiently. Approximately, based on rough estimates, over 4 lakh devotees have taken the holy dip so far," DIG Rajeev Narain Mishra said.
Also, thousands of years old tradition is being followed on Basant Panchami in Deoghar Baba Temple. Nearly 1.5 lakh devotees from the Mithila region of Bihar reached Baba Dham today.
Today, the Deoghar district administration and temple management have made elaborate arrangements in view of the increasing crowd.
According to the DC Vishal Sagar, "The administration is continuously monitoring the temple. About 1.5 lakh devotees will apply Tilak and offer water to Baba Bholenath, for which all the arrangements have been made and crowd management is being done continuously through CCTV cameras."
A devotee from Mithilanchal said that they daily offer tilak to Baba Bholenath and celebrate the marriage ceremony on the day of Shivratri. All these rituals are performed at their own pace, establishing a brother-in-law relationship between the devotee and Baba Bholenath. The devotee further shared that the celebration extends to playing Holi from the very day itself.
—ANI