On the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, around 10 crore devotees are anticipated to attend the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday. The Indian Railways has created a detailed plan in advance of the Mahakumbh’s most revered ceremony, “Amrit Snan,” to guarantee the pilgrims’ smooth journey.
“We have carefully planned and taken lessons from the events of January 13–14. Tomorrow, 60 special trains will run in addition to the predetermined number. There will be 190 special trains operating. On that line, 110 daily trains will operate as normal. This is a great achievement,” Railway Board chairman and CEO Satish Kumar told ANI, adding that trains will be available from Prayagraj every four minutes.
He also adds, “railway employees and officers are on duty and vigilant. They provide us with updates every minute. The battle room is now operational. Tomorrow, we anticipate at least 10 crore visitors. Our entire apparatus is quite active and working in tandem with the state administration. 8000–10,000 RPF officers are stationed to ensure rail passengers are comfortable.”
In the last 17 days, more than 15 crore pilgrims have taken a sacred bath at the Triveni Sangam in Mahakumbh, according to the Uttar Pradesh government. A PTI report claims that security measures have escalated to previously unheard-of levels for the day, with personnel stationed at every location and AI-powered CCTV cameras and drones monitoring the Mela area, which spans several hectares along the Triveni Sangam, the meeting point of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the fabled Saraswati.
The Prayagraj administration has strongly urged locals to refrain from driving four-wheelers and only use two-wheelers for transporting elderly people, even though the Mahakumbh Mela region has already been designated as a no-vehicle zone for the next several days. The Uttar Pradesh government claims that 3.5 crore devotees, saints, and Kalpwasis took part in the Amrit Snan on Makar Sankranti (January 14) alone.
By 8 AM on Tuesday, more than 45 lakh devotees had taken the holy bath, it said. To commemorate the auspicious occasion of “Mauni Amavasya,” the state administration said that it has also scheduled a flower-petal shower from helicopters on Wednesday at 6.45 am.
The Maha Kumbh Mela’s most revered and magnificent ceremony, Amrit Snan (formerly known as Shahi Snan), draws millions of pilgrims from all over the world to the banks of the Triveni Sangam. The majestic procession of saints and ascetics from the many akharas is the primary draw of the Amrit Snan.
Astrological combinations of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter are used to set the dates for the Amrit Snan because they are said to strengthen the sacred rivers’ spiritual force. The Hindu calendar day of Magh Krishna Amavasya coincides with Mauni Amavasya.
Out of all the special dates for bathing, this one is seen to be the most auspicious. The water of the sacred rivers is said to change into “Amrit” on this day. Another name for Mauni Amavasya is the ‘Amavasya of the Saints.’ It is customary to bathe in quiet on Mauni Amavasya.