Mahakumbh Nagar, Feb 5:
Agencies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam and said he felt “blessed to be at the Maha Kumbh” where he was “filled with a spirit of devotion”.
The prime minister held ‘rudraksh’ beads in his hand during the bathing ritual. Dressed in a deep orange jersey and blue lowers, he offered prayers to the sun and the Ganga amid the chanting of mantras.
“Blessed to be at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. The Snan at the Sangam is a moment of divine connection, and like the crores of others who have taken part in it, I was also filled with a spirit of devotion,” Modi posted on X.
“May Maa Ganga bless all with peace, wisdom, good health and harmony,” he added.
In another post in Hindi, he said, “Today I got the great fortune of performing Puja archana after nothing in the holy Sangam at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. I got immense peace and satisfaction from the blessings of Maa Ganga. I prayed to her for the happiness, prosperity, health and well-being of all the countrymen. Har-Har Gange.”
He also shared some pictures of his visit, captioning the post: “The confluence of faith, devotion and spirituality in the divine and grand Maha Kumbh of Prayagraj is overwhelming everyone.”
His trip lasted around 90 minutes during which there was minimal use of the road -? barely 3 km in the car. He travelled from Prayagraj airport to a helipad near Sangam in a helicopter and later used motor boat to and fro the confluence of the sacred rivers from Arail Ghat.
This trip was much shorter than Modi’s February 2019 visit to Kumbh when he, in a unique gesture, washed the feet of several sanitation workers as a mark of appreciation for their work and spent around five hours in the Mela.
After landing in Prayagraj around 10.30 am Wednesday, Modi took a boat ride from Arail ghat to the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Adityanath also shared pictures of Modi’s visit on social media, saying he offered prayers as per rituals for the “happiness, peace and prosperity” of countrymen.
On the way, he acknowledged the greetings of crowds that had lined up on both sides of the riverbanks to catch a glimpse of him.
After the holy dip, the prime minister performed rituals, including an ‘aarti’ as he got on board a floater, a specially built makeshift platform on the river.
He was dressed in a black jacket, white pyjamas, a saffron stole and a Himachali cap for the ‘aarti’ during which he offered milk and flowers to the holy rivers. He also offered a ‘chunari’ at the confluence of the rivers. A priest guided the prime minister in the rituals.
Security was stepped up for the prime minister’s visit, which comes on a day assembly polls are underway in Delhi and there are bypolls in Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh. The visit also falls five days after a stampede at Sangam claimed lives of at least 30 pilgrims and left another 60 injured.
However, barring some portions mandatory for security protocols, devotees continued to take a dip at other ghats during the VIP visit, officials said.
By 2 pm, nearly 60 lakh devotees had taken a dip on Wednesday, they added.
Rahul Sharma, who came from Jaipur to take a bath in Sangam, said, “Today, while taking a bath, it did not feel that our prime minister was present in the Sangam area because no policeman stopped anyone from going to the ghat and the bath was very comfortable.”
Being held after 12 years, the Maha Kumbh started on January 13 and will continue till February 26. It is considered among the holiest pilgrimages by Hindus.
While all three Amrit Snan of January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya) and February 3 (Basant Panchami) are over, two more special bathing dates remain – February 12 (Maghi Purnima) and February 26 (Mahashivratri). These special bathing dates, which depend on celestial alignments and Hindi calendar, draw major crowds.
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, more than 38 crore pilgrims have visited the Maha Kumbh since January 13.
On Tuesday, Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited the Maha Kumbh and took a dip at the Triveni Sangam. Accompanied by Adityanath, the king performed rituals like offering ‘arghya’ to the sun before taking the dip.
On February 1, a delegation of 73 diplomats and foreign guests from different countries also arrived at the Maha Kumbh, some of whom took a holy dip.
Earlier Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Kiren Rijiju, among several others also visited the Maha Kumbh. On January 22, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet led by Adityanath had its official meeting at Maha Kumbh.
Celebrities from the film industry and other walks of life including international artiste Chris Martin of British rock band Coldplay have also made appearances at the Maha Kumbh.
An official statement said Modi’s ritual bath at the Sangam coincided with an auspicious alignment of celestial events – ?Gupt Navratri and Bhishmashtami.
While Gupt Navratri is dedicated to worshipping the goddess, Bhishmashtami is observed for ancestral ‘Tarpan’ and ‘Shraddha’. This convergence of faith and tradition further enriched the sanctity of the occasion, it added.
In his previous visit to Prayagraj on December 13, Modi inaugurated 167 projects worth Rs 5,500 crore.
These projects encompassed major railway station upgrades, ROB flyovers, road widening, strengthening, and beautification.
Additionally, he inaugurated permanent ghats, riverfront development, sewerage and drinking water facilities, and power supply projects. Among the key religious and cultural developments were the Akshayvat Corridor, Saraswati Koop Corridor, Bade Hanuman Mandir Corridor, Bhardwaj Rishi Ashram Corridor, and Shringverpur Dham Corridor, the statement said. |
