Lakhs take dip in Yamuna on third and last ‘shahi snan’ day in Vrindvan Kumbh

PTI, Mar 14, 2021, 9:32 AM IST

Mathura: Lakhs of people, including Uttar Pradesh minister Srikant Sharma, took holy dips in the Yamuna on Saturday, the third and last day for the ‘shahi snan’ in the Vrindvan kumbh here.

People took bath at various stretches of the riverbank amid a heavy security arrangement with police and security personnel deployed in strength at the Kumbh fair venue and in the city.

While divers patrolled the river in motorboats, drones hovered over the river to keep an eye over the bathing crowd as part of the security arrangement.

After having his bath, UP Minister Sharma complimented officials responsible for the Kumbh fair arrangement.

With the deployment of swimmers, river police personnel, steamers and motorboats, backed by CCTV and drone cameras, no untoward incident occurred during bathing or the royal procession, Mathura Superintendent of Police Gaurav Grover said.

The bathing began after the royal procession led by three prominent Hindu seers of three different akharas (religious sect schools) and comprising hundreds of sadhus, sannyasis and recluse besides thousands of devotees, culminated at the Kumbh venue after a five-km long walk around the Vrindavan city.

The procession was led by the chief of the Ayodhya-based Maha Nirvani Akhara, Mahant Dharm Das, along with the heads of two other Vaishnavi akharas (religious sect schools) – Maha Nirmohi and Maha Digambar akharas.

During the passage of the royal procession through its streets, the entire Vrindavan got awash with colours and gulals,’ virtually heralding the Holi festival days in advance.

The third ‘shahi snan’ in the Yamuna took place Saturday in the wake of three prominent seers’ threat earlier on the first ‘shahi snan’ day on Feb 27 that they will not take another bath in the river unless its water is cleaned.

The three seers, who led the royal procession earlier, too appeared satisfied by the arrangements for the third ‘shahi snan’ as the riverbed near its bank was paved with sand-filled sacks to ensure that no muck comes up on the water surface from the riverbed.

Additional water too had been discharged in the river to make the water quality better for taking baths, officials claimed.