Ardh Kumbh: Last shahi snan over

Over 50 lakh people are estimated to have taken a dip at the Sangam confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers here on the last of the six shahi snans (royal baths) at the Ardh Kumbh fair on Tuesday.

It was an unusually thick morning as bands of saffron sadhus atop improvised chariots and flanked by their symbolic army of 'Naga Sadhus,' the cynosure of thousands of eyes, converged at the holy sangam.

Thousands of devotees waited along the barricaded paths to be blessed with one glimpse of these 'Naga Sadhus,' some of whom moved on horsebacks, swinging their shining swords and spears in the air, with loud music played by the accompanying bands.

The scene was a repeat of the five previous royal baths at the 42-day-long festival that opened on January 3.

Displaying their excitement, the 'Nagas' once again plunged into the 'Sangam' and them jumping out to smear their naked bodies with ash that they describe as their clothing. The ritual seemed longed than usual on Tuesday. "Yes now we will get this opportunity to bathe in the holiest of holy waters here only after six years, on the occasion of the main 'Kumbh Mela' at Prayag (the old mythological  name of Allahabad),"

said Vidyanand Giri, secretary of the 'Juna Akhara.'

Tuesday marks the Basant Panchami festival, regarded by Hindus at the commencement of spring with the receding of cold winter.

"More than 50 lakh devotees have bathed by 4 pm", P R Misra, the head of Mela operations told reporters.

"Once again the turnout has far exceeded our initial estimate of about 30 lakh," he said.  The last shahi snan on January 19 had drawn as many as about 2 crore people, regarded as the largest  ever single convergence of people anywhere on earth.

While the arrivals were quite thin in the morning, crowds swelled as the day grew and a bright sun brought some warmth to beat the chilly morning breeze along the vast expanse along the river banks.

"Well, since the 'Akharas' (leading Hindu monasteries) will start dispersing after today's last 'shahi snan' and the sadhus belonging to these congregations will return to their respective destinations, the mela would naturally lose much of its  glamour; yet devotees will continue to pour in for their holy dip until the conclusion of the Ardh Kumbh on February 16, that marks yet another Hindu festival, Mahashivratri, said the Mela chief.