Devotees gathered in large numbers at the Ganga ghats of Garhmukteshwar and Brijghat from early Monday on the occasion of Jyeshtha Purnima. Alongside the ritual Ganga bath and worship, the administration implemented extensive security arrangements, while increased pilgrim movement affected traffic on the highway.
Pilgrims began arriving at Brijghat, Kachcha Ghat Lathira and Pushpavati Pooth in the Garhmukteshwar tehsil area from the early hours of Monday. Religious rituals commenced during Brahma Muhurta with the ceremonial Ganga bath. Devotees from distant districts and states took the holy dip and participated in religious observances.
After bathing in the Ganga, devotees visited prominent religious sites in the area, including Hanuman Temple, Shri Radha-Krishna Temple, Vedant Temple, Amrit Parisar, Nakka Kuan Temple and Shri Kalyaneshwar Mahadev Temple, where they offered prayers according to religious traditions. Many devotees also attended recitals of the Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan Katha and donated food, clothing and money to poor and needy people.
In view of the large gathering, the district administration made extensive security arrangements. Trained divers and motor boats were deployed to prevent accidents in the Ganga. Police continuously appealed to devotees through loudspeakers not to enter deep waters. Personnel in plain clothes monitored the crowds, while additional police forces were deployed at the ghats, parking areas and key routes. CCTV cameras were used to monitor the entire area.
Heavy pilgrim movement led to long queues of vehicles on the national highway passing through Garhmukteshwar, with traffic moving slowly at several locations. A large number of devotees had begun arriving in the pilgrimage town from Sunday evening, resulting in local dharamshalas, hotels and other accommodation facilities becoming fully occupied. The administration deployed additional police personnel to manage traffic and urged devotees to use designated parking areas. Religious activities, security arrangements and traffic management remained the administration's priorities throughout the day.
