Vasant Panchami transformed Farrukhabad’s Panchal Ghat into a sea of saffron and celebration during the Magh Mela. Leading the charge, Juna Akhara Nagas under Mahant Satya Giri Maharaj conducted a royal procession, blanketing the air in abeer-gulal as they advanced to the sixth ghat step for Ganga snan.
Mela managers extended pompous honors, ushering the yatra along the banks. The spectacle featured frontline horses, deity-laden howdahs, and sadhus executing gravity-defying feats that held devotees in rapture.
From the Vaishnav stronghold at stair one, Mahant Mohan Das Maharaj helmed a dynamic shobha yatra originating at Shri Panch Ram Anandi Nirbhoyi Akhara. Children with banners upfront, percussionists pounding dhols, and warriors showcasing lathi, bhala, talwar, and barchi prowess formed the core. Admirers garlanded the march through bazaars to officer precincts, where Thakur Ji’s palanquin received salutes.
Parallel yatrays from All India Vaishnav Sampradaya and allied sects merged at the ghats for unified bathing rituals and nishaan archana. Circuits back to Juna Akhara ended in aartis, communal meals, and langars. Mohan Das Maharaj emphasized the mela’s swelling ranks of sadhus, embodying a profound fusion of faith, ritual, and India’s timeless ethos.