Afzal Guru hanged: High security at Maha Kumbh Mela

ALLAHABAD: Police and security forces have been put on high alert in and around Allahabad, where an estimated three crore pilgrims will gather early on Sunday morning for an auspicious dip at the Kumbh Mela, following Afzal Guru’s hanging on Saturday morning.

“We were informed (about the execution) at 6:30 am and all forces are on high alert. We always had excellent security measures in place for the Kumbh Mela, but there is greater sensitivity now,” said Alok Sharma, Allahabad’s inspector general of police.

A temporary city of tents spanning 54 square kilometres has come up around Sangam, the confluence of Hindu scripture’s holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed extensive resources for the event, with a hospital, police station, fire station, post office, railway reservation counters and sanitation workers all working round the clock. Pilgrims poured into Allahabad from all over the world in large numbers through Saturday. The banks of the Ganga river swelled with millions of the faithful and sadhus from secretive Hindu sects who are seen in public only during the Kumbh Mela.

“It’s a historic sight we are seeing here. By our estimation, already more than 1 crore pilgrims are here,” said RKS Rathore, the top police officer present at the festival. Kumbh Mela CEO Mani Prasad Misra said all arrangements were in place for a successful festival.

The Kumbh Mela, a tradition believed to be several thousand years old, is held by rotation every three years in Ujjain, Haridwar, Nashik and Allahabad.