On the fourth festive bath of the Ardh Kumbh fair on Magh Poornima, more than six lakh devotees took a dip in the Ganga at various ghats here today.
As per Ardh Kumbh Mela Inspector General of Police Ganesh Singh Martolia, by 7 pm, about 6.20 lakh devotees had arrived since morning. The sanctum sanctorum of Braham Kund, Har-Ki-Pauri and Malviya Deep ghat, Subash ghat, VIP ghat, Kushawrat ghat, Gau ghat, Alaknanda ghat, Birla ghat, Prem Nagar ashram and other ghats were packed to capacity.
“We had made elaborate security and traffic arrangements for the fourth festive bath of Ardh Kumbh. Due to clear sky and easing of harsh winter climatic conditions, 2 lakh devotees had arrived in Haridwar by 9 am. The mela force comprising the Uttarkahand Police and paramilitary forces such as the CISF, the ITBP, the SSB, the RAF and the PAC were deployed at the mela zone, stated IG Ganesh Singh Martolia.
As per Superintendent of Traffic Ardh Kumbh Shweta Chaubey, traffic on Gaziabad-Haridwar-Mana Badrinath and Ambala-Dehradun-Haridwar remained smooth.
The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Quick Reponse Team (QRT) were also pitched in to ensure fool-proof security arrangements.
A lost-found cell formed by the Ardh Kumbh administration reported 1 man,3 women and a child getting lost in the crowd. Cell employees flashed the names and photos of these five persons and contacted their relatives through phones, after which they were handed over to their family members.
