All decked up

Administration is leaving nothing to chance as the countdown to the last Shahi Snan begins

P.S. Chauhan

State government and mela administration have pulled up their socks as the date of last Shahi Snan of the first Mahakumbh of the centuary approaches. So far nine snans of the Kumbh, including three Shahi Snans of the sant community, have been held smoothly. However, with the terror threat looming large on such huge religious congregations and expected hordes of devotees, mela administration is not taking any chance regarding the preparations for this biggest confluence of the humans held so far on the earth.

Dr. Prateek Mishrapuri, president Oriental Research Society, says that scriptures have it that the Kumbh is held at Haridwar when the timing of Jupiter's entry into zodiac Aquarius coincides with that of Sun's into Aries. This astronomical phenomenon, which occurs after every 12 years, is occurring on April 14 this year. It was at this particular conjunction of planets that drops of elixir from Amirt Kalash had trickled down into the Ganga at Brahm Kund, Har-Ki-Pauri. The snans of the Kumbh Parv held so far were only precursors to the grand peroration on April 14 when the main snan of the Kumbh and the last Shahi Snan will be held.

Legend has it that a dip on this most auspicious occasion sets a person free from the vicious cycle of birth and rebirth. The Kumbh Mela officer, Anand Vardhan, says that more than 10 millions pilgrims are likely to wend their way to the holy Ganga for the dip of redemption. For the main snan a multi-layer comprehensive security cover is being put in place throughout the mela area, by dividing it into 10 zones and 32 sectors. Mela D.I.G., Alok Sharma says that for the main snan of the Kumbh, 17,000 security personnel, including civil police and 20 companies of the P.A.C. from Uttarakhand and U.P. along with 60 companies of the paramilitary forces are deployed.

Besides that 220 highly trained commandos, armed with the most sophisticated weapons and equipments, to face any eventuality, are in place. Also, units of Jal police, fire extinguishers, anti-sabotage squads, sniffers and mounted police, have been deployed. Intelligence personnel, in civil dresses and saffron clothes of sadhus, have already mingled with devotees and sadhus to gather secret information. To keep a tab on anti-social elements, 125 CCTV have been installed at all the sensitive places and the video footages of these cameras along with the inputs provided by the intelligence agencies, are being constantly analyzed. As a part of the massive preparations for the main snan, the central government has also provided two helicopters, which will be in stand by at Sarsawa air station for aerial survillence of the sea of humanity.