Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit Prayagraj on Saturday to review preparations for the upcoming ‘snan parv’ of the Magh Mela.
During his visit, the Chief Minister will review the preparations ahead of the important bathing ritual, which draws a large number of devotees from across the country, according to an official statement.
Furthermore, CM Adityanath will also meet saints and religious leaders present at the Magh Mela site, the statement read.The Chief Minister is also set to attend a programme organised on the occasion of the 726th birth anniversary of Ramanandacharya. In addition to these engagements, CM Adityanath will visit Rajendra Prasad National Law University in Prayagraj.
The Magh Mela of Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), which takes place at the divine Triveni Sangam, the place of confluence of the sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the legendary Saraswati, is one of the largest pilgrimages in India.
The pilgrimage is named after the Hindu month of Magh, which typically falls in January-February.The Prayag Magh Mela is a 45-day pilgrimage that begins on Paush Purnima (the full moon day of the month of Paush) and ends on Mahashivaratri, spanning the entire month of Magh.
The mela commences on the full moon day of Paush with the snan (ritual dip). Over the course of the fair, there are a total of six ritual snans, viz. on Paush Purnima, Makar Sankranti (beginning of Magh), Shattila Ekadashi (day of the waning of moon- Krishna Pakhsa- in the month of Magh), Mauni Amavasya (the no moon day of Magh when people take vow of silence), Basant Panchami (also called Magha Shukla Panchami, the fifth day of the waxing phase of moon in Magh), Achala Saptami (seventh day of waxing phase of moon in Magh, celebrated as the birthday of Lord Surya), Jaya Ekadashi (the day of fasting observed on the eleventh day of the waxing phase of moon in Magh) and Magh Purnima (the full moon day in Magh).
The annual Magh Mela transforms into the Kumbh Mela every fourth year at Prayag, and into the Maha Kumbh Mela every twelfth year, drawing millions of devout pilgrims to the grand event.