In view of the massive rush due the Mahakumbh, authorities have stopped the Ganga Aarti performed at the ghats of Varanasi for the general public till February 5. A large number of devotees returning from Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj are still stranded at Varanasi Cantt and Banaras railway stations. Many devotees said that they could not catch their train due to the excessive crowd. Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal has appealed to the people of Kashi to cooperate with the devotees.
Ganga aarti stopped at Kaashi ghats
Ganga Seva Nidhi President Sushant Mishra on Friday said the Ganga Aarti performed at Dashashwamedh Ghat will remain closed for the general public till February 5. Further, the committees performing Ganga Aarti at Sheetla Ghat, Assi Ghat and other ghats have also appealed to the general public, visitors and devotees not to come for it till February 5.
Cantt Assistant Commissioner of Police Vidush Saxena said after evr since the Mauni Amavasya, the influx of devotees has increased in Kashi. He said security forces are constantly patrolling the station. Saxena urged the devotees to defer coming to Varanasi for a few days till the crowd abates.
Mahakumbh 2025: Total snan crosses 1.5 crore mark today
As per the official information, on January 31, over 1.58 crore devotees took dip in the holy Sangam. Till January 30, over 29.64 crore performed Snan at the Triveni Sangam. Mahakumbh started on January 13 and will continue till February 26.
On the viral claim mentioning the restriction on vehicle entry in Prayagraj, DM Prayagraj Ravindra Kumar Mandar clarified that there will be no restrictions on vehicle entry in Prayagraj on January 31, February 1, and February 4. He specified that the divergence scheme will only be implemented on February 2 and 3. He also refuted the viral claims stating that vehicle entry would be restricted until February 4.
"A news is viral on social media that the entry of vehicles in Prayagraj will be restricted till February 4. This news is completely baseless. The divergent scheme was implemented only for the peak day of Mauni Amavasya. Now, almost all the devotees are returning and the scheme of divergence is being removed by the police," he said.
(With agency inputs)