PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 16 -- Nearly 1.03 crore devotees took a holy dip at the Sangam on Thursday, the second day of the second official bathing of Makar Sankranti of the ongoing Magh Mela. According to figures released by the Mela administration, by 4 pm, around 91 lakh devotees had bathed at the sacred Triveni confluence. Over the two days of the second official bathing, the total count touched nearly 2 crore. Pilgrims continued to arrive throughout the day and into the evening, and most are expected to stay in the mela area until the next major bathing event of Mauni Amavasya on January 18. Officials had anticipated a massive turnout for this Magh Mela, the first after the grand success of Mahakumbh 2025. The count of devotees who had taken the dip was 21 lakh by 8 am, which rose to 36 lakh by 10 am, 54 lakh by noon, 72 lakh by 2 pm, and 91 lakh by 4 pm. On Wednesday, the first day of bathing, 85 lakh devotees participated, while 25 lakh had bathed on Tuesday. In view of the swelling crowds, senior administrative officers including divisional commissioner Soumya Agarwal, police commissioner Jogendra Kumar, district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, Mela officer Rishiraj, additional police commissioner Dr Ajay Pal Sharma and SP Mela Neeraj Pandey conducted continuous inspections in different parts of the mela. Meanwhile he barricading at the intersection of Sangam Upper and Akshayavat Marg was extended slightly, allowing more devotees to reach the Sangam. The deep water barricading for bathing was also extended to prevent any difficulties during the bathing ritual. Mela officer Rishiraj said that the Makar Sankranti bathing festival was conducted peacefully. He added, "All arrangements were made with the priority that no devotee should face any trouble and that everyone should bathe safely and leave healthy. Our next focus is Mauni Amavasya bathing on January 18....