Lakhs take Ganga dip on Basant Panchami

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, February 12

Lakhs of devotees took a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of ‘Basant Panchami’ today during ‘Ardh Kumbh’. But the number of pilgrims arriving in Haridwar city was far less than expected on such festive baths.

However, the unprecedented security arrangements were maintained in the entire mela zone. The security arrangements had been tightened following the arrest of four youths from Roorkee who had allegedly planned attacks during Ardh Kumbh.

According to the mela administration, the rush today was less than that on ‘Somwati Amavasya’ on February 8. Pilgrims took the holy dip at the sanctum sanctorum of Brahma Kund, Har-ki-Pauri, and adjacent Ganga ghats.

The police, paramilitary forces jawans and anti-terror squads were deployed at all important places while drones and CCTV cameras kept vigil on those visiting Haridwar.

GS Martoliya, Inspector General, Ardh Kumbh, said every bath during theArdh Kumbh was a test for the security forces and was analysed to make improvements in the future. “Since the number of pilgrims was less as compared to earlier baths, it was a hassle-free festival bath. However, we kept a tight vigil throughout,” he said.

MK Singh, superintendent, Haridwar railway station, said adequate arrangements were made for the transportation of the pilgrims. “We are running three special trains from Haridwar to Bareilly to cope with the ‘Basant Panchami’ rush,” he said.

Suresh Chauhan, assistant general manager, Uttarakhand Roadways, said hundreds of buses were deployed for the pilgrims but there was not much rush as compared to on ‘Somwati Amavasya’ on February 8.

Ganga yatra to showcase cultural diversity

Dehradun: The Union Ministry of Culture will launch the Ganga Sanskriti Yatra from Gangotri, the place of origin of the Ganga, on February 14. Union Ministry of Culture Additional Secretary KK Mittal will inaugurate the yatra that will pass through the states through which the Ganga flows and culminate at Kapilmuni Ashram at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal on March 13.

The yatra will stop over at Haridwar, Bijnor, Farukkabad, Kannuj, Kanpur, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Gazipur, Baliya, Buxur, Chhapra, Vaishali, Patna, Begusarai, Munger, Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, Rajmahal, Murshidabad, Baharampur, Dakhineswar and finally reach Ganga Sagar. It will cover all confluences of the tributaries of the Ganga and the places of historical and cultural importance.

The main focus of the yatra is to present art forms of the Ganga basin which are deeply associated with the river, including folk songs, dances, theater, dance and drama, documentary and films shows, street plays, kavi sammelan, photography exhibitions, film shows, quiz competitions, seminars and poster campaigns.

In the seminars, cultural diversity and heritage of the Ganga river basin and challenges of safeguarding it will be discussed. The venues of the seminars include Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Jayprakash Narayan University, Chhapra; Patna University, Bhagalpur University, Tilka Majhi University, Bhagalpur; Presidency University, Jadavpur University, Calcutta University, Kolkata; Kalyani University and Barasat University, West Bengal.

The objective of the yatra is to showcase and discover the cultural diversity and heritage of the Ganga river basin and also to spread necessary awareness among masses about need to safeguard and rejuvenate it.