Kumbh Mela: President, First Lady and UP CM Yogi Adityanath participate in "Gangan Pujan" at Triveni Sangam

President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Thursday visited Allahabad and performed ''Ganga pujan'' in the Sangam area during the ongoing Kumbh Mela, officials said. 

The President and first lady Savita Kovind reached the Bamrauli airport on a special plane of the Indian Air Force around 9:30 am. They were welcomed by Governor Ram Naik, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several cabinet ministers, the officials said.

President Kovind and his wife participated in ''Ganga pujan'' in the Sangam area along with the governor, chief minister, his deputy Keshva Prasad Maurya and Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh among others. 

Sangam refers to the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. 

Read: Kumbh -- And The Show Goes On

Earlier on Wednesday, as part of the ongoing Kumbh Mela, a group of saints lit 33,000 diyas (earthen lamps) in Prayagraj wishing for early construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"We'll light total 11 lakh lamps in a month. We believe that the construction of Ram Temple will start immediately after the conclusion of Kumbh," a saint, Moni Maharaj said.

Day two of the Kumbh Mela on Wednesday, January 16 was for the many lakhs, including tourists, who lined up along the Sangam for a purifying dip.

The pull of the waters was as strong on Wednesday, January 16, the second day of the largest religious festival on earth, with officials estimating that more than one crore people took a plunge in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

"To be very honest, we were not expecting the crowds to be smaller. Also, most of the roads were open for visitors today. And then it is just the second day. We expect the same throughout the 50-day mela, not just for the 'shahi snan'," said a police officer who didn't want to be identified. 

On Tuesday, January 15 the administration restricted the entry of all types of vehicles -- other than those required for essential services -- in the vicinity of Kumbh Nagari, the sprawling 32,000-hectare township that has come up on the banks of the river.

"We came yesterday also. But didn't get to take the holy dip. Yesterday, it was a show of akharas. They took a lot of time, first with the procession and then the bath. Today is the day for tourists," said 28-year-old Ranjan Mitra. 

The mela will come to a close on Maha Shivratri, March 4.