Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 5 (ANI): As the devotees and residents of Prayagraj gear up for the Maha Kumbh Mela there is an air of exuberance. Seers and devotees from India and across the world have gathered here for this once in a 14 year ritual.
The holy land of Sangam has been blessed by various seers and sages who have become the centre of attraction here, including Chhotu Baba, who has become famous for not taking a bath in 32 years, Chabhi wale Baba, who roams around with a 20-kilogram key, and E-rickshaw Baba, who travelled all the way from Delhi to Prayagraj.
Now, comes the turn of one Bavander Baba and another Splendor Baba, who arrived at the Maha Kumbh on Sunday.
Bavander Baba reached the holy land after travelling one lakh kilometres, while Splendor Baba, who is differently abled, travelled all the way from Gujarat and undertook a 14-day journey on his three-wheeler motorcycle. 
“My ashram is between Rajkot and Ahmedabad. I have come for the Kumbh Mela from Gujarat, to pay respects to the sadhus here and to the Sanatan Dharma. I am differently abled because of polio. I was three years old when it happened. It took me 14 days. I had to find a place to stay for four days because of the rain. I had come in 2013 Kumbh as well, but this time it feels like something unique is happening,” Splendo Baba told ANI.
Bavander Baba, who is on a mission to promote Sanatan Dharma across the country, said that he will raise concerns regarding Hindus themselves disrespecting gods and goddesses.
“I am raising a serious concern about why Hindus themselves are disrespecting our gods and goddesses. We are in this ‘Kumbh Kshetra’ and I found a bundle of ‘beedi’ having lord Shiva’s image on it… I have written to CMs of 14 states for the same. I hope that some steps will be taken to stop all this…” he added.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government will introduce electric buses to ensure convenient transportation services for devotees gearing up to visit the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela, which is scheduled to commence on January 13. Nearly 10 to 15 buses are set to begin operations in the holy city ahead of the Kumbh.
Additionally, 30 more buses will be dispatched from the Lucknow headquarters to Prayagraj ahead of the main bathing festival, Mauni Amavasya, on January 29.
Electric buses will operate on various routes to provide seamless transport services to devotees, making the journey more convenient. With crores of people expected to attend the Maha Kumbh, these buses are set to play a crucial role in managing transportation.
The Maha Kumbh is being celebrated after 12 years and a huge turnout of devotees is expected in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26. To prevent mishaps, the district administration has been taking important steps to ensure the safety of the devotees, especially for crowd management and avoiding fire incidents.
For Maha Kumbh, the administration has opted for technological tools along with the deployment of personnel to ensure the safety of the devotees. ADG (Fire Department) Padmaja Chauhan informed that the administration has increased the manpower and has deployed Quick Response Vehicles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that can run on any kind of terrain, firefighting robots and fire mist bikes.
The main bathing rituals, known as the Shahi Snan (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami). (ANI)
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