The ‘snan’ marked the beginning of the month-long austerity period for ‘kalpwasis’, who would stay on the banks of Ganga till Maghi Purnima. PRAYAGRAJ: Braving bone-chilling cold and Covid-19 fears, 2.7 lakh devotees, including saints and ‘kalpwasis’, took a dip in Sangam the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj on Thursday on the occasion of Paush Purnima, the second auspicious ‘snan’ of Magh Mela. The devotees started trickling in since the crack of dawn amid heavy police bandobast. In fact, the Sangam noze had been buzzing with activities since Wednesday. Mela police, however, said the footfall was less as compared to Makar Sankranti. Ghats witnessed a major rush during wee hours, but the strength declined as the day progressed.