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Millions bathe in Ganga as Mahakumbh ends

Quiet flowed the Ganga as it bathed the devout in their millions during the last Mahakumbh of the millennium.

Around two million people had taken the purificatory dip in the Ganga till noon today, the final day of the four-month-long Purna Kumbh, and there were no reports of any untoward incidents.

The mela administration had placed a ban yesterday under Section 44 of the Criminal Procedure Code on taking out 'shahi processions' as it anticipated trouble between the disputing akharas (sects).

The acrimony eased after representatives of the 13 main akharas worked out a last-minute understanding early this morning on the order of precedence for the ' shahi ishnan.' Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Shankar Bharti told UNI the meeting was held in Dam Kothi number one at around 0400 hours.

Juna Akhara, one of the sects involved in the dispute, had tendered a written apology for the March 28 clashes with the rival Niranjani Akhara, following which the Akhara Parishad withdrew its decision to boycott the Juna faction.

The ban was lifted today, but the carrying of weapons, including trishul (trident), talwar (sword), barchha (spear) as also vehicles into the mela area was prohibited. The akharas had given their word that the Mahakumbh Parva would be conducted peacefully.

Nonetheless, a tight security cordon engulfed the area as there were suspicions about Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence fomenting trouble to disrupt the ceremonies.

The authorities were on extra alert this time round in the wake of the arrest of a suspected terrorist, the senior superintendent of police said. Thirtyone police posts have been set up and special checkposts to screen the pilgrims were also set up. A strict vigil was kept at sensitive points and police patrolling intensified, he said.

Har-ki-Pauri, the nodal point of the mela, had an elaborate three-tier security system and visitors at this point were being thoroughly searched.

Modern communication facilities such as pagers, cellular phones and close-circuit television sets had been installed and 36 fire stations set up.

Despite the tension having defused somewhat, there were some chinks in the agreement and the Juna, Atal, Agni and Ahwan akharas decided to boycott today's holy dip. Ahwan akhara secretary Mahant Shiv Shankar Giri blamed the authorities for being lax. ''We need at least ten hours to make necessary arrangements,'' he said.

Differences also cropped up between the Juna and Ahwan sects on the issue of leadership in the procession. The nine remaining akharas led by the Niranjanis took part in the cermony.

UNI

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