Allahabad, January 13
Grand preparations are in place to host the world's largest human gathering, which will converge on the banks of the Ganga, on the occasion of Mahakumbh beginning tomorrow.

Estimates suggest around 70 lakh pilgrims representing various faiths and regions of the globe taking a dip in the Ganga during the first ritual bath scheduled from the wee hours of tomorrow on Makar Sankranti. The day marks the start of a New Year under the Hindu calendar.

Among the bathers will be top Indian sadhus with global appeal, attracting over 300 foreigners to the fair.

These include Swami Awadheshanand, chief of the Juna Akhara, largest among the 13 Hindu religious orders, which will dominate the holy bath tomorrow; yoga guru Ramdev; the controversial Asaram; Murari Bapu and Swami Somnath Giri, aka Pilot Baba.

Pilgrims will be the king at the fair's start as the district police has ruled out VIP movement for Mahakumbh tomorrow. Kumbh SSP RK Rathore said there was no information regarding the arrival of any VIP, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi tomorrow.

The UP Government has sent advisories to the Centre and all states governments to avoid VIP movement for security reasons, it has been learnt.

“No wise VIP will arrive here for the ritual bath tomorrow. It will become a huge security concern. VIPs are free to come any day during the 55-day Mahakumbh, which ends on March 10 on Maha Shivaratri,” Rathore said. The start of the festival and the holy dip, coinciding with Makar Sankranti, marks a perfect alignment of stars, according to the Hindu calendar.

That explains the dominance of Hindu akharas in the festival where star attraction tomorrow will be the “Akhara shahi snan”, featuring supreme leaders of various religious orders who will arrive at the bathing ghat along the Ganga in radiant tableaux replete with pomp and show.

The first akhara to enter the “shahi snan” will be Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and among the last will be the Juna Akhara known for its force of half-naked Naga sadhus who are known to come running to the river for the bath.

“The Nagas always run to the ghat. We have made adequate arrangements so that the run does not pose a security hazard,” said IG Allahabad Alok Sharma.

While Juna Akhara has been given only 40 minutes for the bath, many other akharas have been given 55 minutes. A schedule of the movement of akharas was discussed with akhara leaders today to avoid any last-minute rush or stampede, the biggest concern for tomorrow.

“Movement of akharas to the bathing ghat is the key feature of the ‘shahi snan’. Everyone wants to watch the grandeur. We have laid out audience lanes on both sides of the road which the akharas will take to the Sangam Ghat,” said Mani Prasad Mishra, DM in charge of Kumbh, notified as a separate district in Allahabad division for the purpose of the mela.

Allahabad, January 13
Along the banks of the Ganga, barely few metres from the Sangam ghat, is a VVIP tented settlement especially erected for jurists from across India who have been camping here for the first ritual bath of the Mahakumbh starting tomorrow.

A class apart among the rest of the camps spread across 20 sq km area of the Kumbh district, the area houses 20 cottages with a capacity of four each for the judges and their families. Complete with a landscaped compound and a lavish spread of flowers, the area attracts every pilgrim who passes by in this temple town.

What's more, the cottages are filled to capacity with 20 judges of the Allahabad High Court staying here in preparation of the ritual bath of Makar Sankranti, the first holy bath of the Mahakumbh. Besides the judges of the state high court, senior judges and their families from other parts of the country are also here for formal inauguration of the largest open religious rendezvous in the world.

Among the visitors from outside Allahabad is a senior judge of the Bombay High Court. There are reports that some Chief Justices would arrive for the auspicious ceremony tomorrow, with Assistant Registrar (Protocol) of the camp, Ashish Srivastav saying, "We will know by tomorrow the number of honorable judges who come for the ritual bath."