Millions of Vistors Expected

TODAY IS THE OPENING DAY OF THE HINDU festival of Kumbh Mela in the northern Indian city of Allahabad.

Tens of millions of pilgrims are expected to visit to bathe at the Sang am – the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. The festival will continue until March 10 and is billed as the biggest religious gathering in the world.

The festival has been held on the banks of the Ganges for thousands of years and hits its peak once every 12 years when it attracts millions of people.  Preparations in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for the invasion of pilgrims has been going on for months and part of their planning is fire safety because thousands of bonfires are constantly burning.  Also, civic attempts at providing all kinds of assistance are vigorously pursued.  Even the Pared Fire Station in Allahbad has put up a large May I Help You? sign.

NBS News

And that's not all that the fire station has done to get ready.  They have put into service a pair of quick-response motorcycles that have portable extinguishers and are more easily able to weave through the dense crowds crowds to get a quick attack on burning problems.  They show off their stuff in this video report posted by NBS News:

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