Varanasi: The Ganga Aarti in Varanasi has been halted till February 5 in view of the massive influx of pilgrims from the Maha Kumbh. The Ganga Seva Nidhi organisation has announced its decision of not holding Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the next five days and appealed visitors to cooperate with the decision.
Varanasi is currently witnessing a significant rise in tourists and the situation is such that local people have come on streets to help them along with the police and administration. While additional security and arrangements are being ensured by the administration and police, the locals are distributing food packets on the streets.
The ghats too are overcrowded. Thus, the committee conducting the aarti has decided to halt it till February 5 due to overcrowding concerns and safety of the tourists. People have been urged to join the aarti online from their homes.
Currently, 20 to 25 lakh devotees have come to Varanasi. Long queues are seen since 2:45 am for the darshan of Baba Vishwanath. All hotels, guest houses and lodges are completely booked and the administration is busy arranging shelter homes for the tourists. Students of Benaras Hindu University have also come forward to help the administration.
Ganga Seva Nidhi president Sushant Mishra said in view of the increasing crowd and for the safety of devotees, Ganga Aarti will not be performed in a grand manner till February 5. He has appealed tourists to join the online aarti for this period so as to avoid any untoward incident since the number of devotees in Varanasi has exceeded the city's capacity.
Meanwhile, the Vishwanath temple administration has taken special measures to offer the best darshan experience to devotees. The officials inspected the facilities in the Dham and temple premises and took care of all the essential services including cleanliness, water supply, traffic system, security and medical facilities.
Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said, "Providing excellent services to the devotees of Maha Kumbh is our priority and security and medical facilities will also be fully ensured."
A traffic advisory has been issued by the police for Varanasi. Visitors have been asked to use the route between Bhadau Chungi and Golgadda via Cantt Railway Station, Lahartara, Manduadih, Bhikharipur and Sundarpur. The movement of autorickshaws and e-rickshaws has been completely restricted in the inner parts of the city including Bhelupur, Chetganj, Kotwali, Laxmi and Sigra police station area.
The police have appealed people of Varanasi to use their four-wheelers only when absolutely necessary in Bhelupur, Chetganj, Kotwali, Laxmi and Sigra areas. Emergency services including ambulance and fire brigade have been kept outside the purview of this ban, police said.
