MAHAKUMBH NAGAR, Feb 26: Amid chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, hordes of pilgrims from Gujarat to Karnataka on Wednesday took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Mahashivratri as the 45-day Maha Kumbh inched towards its closure.
Maha Kumbh, the spectacle that takes place once in 12 years, began on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and saw grand processions of Naga Sadhus and three ‘Amrit Snans’.
The mega religious gathering has drawn a record over 64 crore pilgrims so far.
Being the last auspicious ‘snan’ of the Maha Kumbh, a large number of devotees had begun to gather on the banks of the Sangam from close to midnight, and while some camped and waited patiently to take the dip at ‘Brahma Muhurt’, scores of them performed the bathing rituals much before the appointed time.
Billed as the world’s largest spiritual gathering on earth, the mega religious festival on its last day attracted pilgrims from all four corners of the country.
Rajvir Singh Jhala (20), a BBA student from Rajkot took the holy dip right at the Sangam nose, as did his mother and other family members who arrived in Prayagraj from Gujarat in a bus on Wednesday night.
“Lord Shiva for me means ‘Shunyata’, one must feel that he is she is nothing in front of him. Besides, one must have goodness inside. If one has dirt inside, washing oneself in holy Sangam will not even cleanse any sin,” Jhala told PTI right after the ‘snan’.
As pilgrims milled around and took the holy dip at various ghats at or near the confluence site, security personnel kept a vigilant eye, not allowing crowding at any place for long duration, as they sought to manage the sea of pilgrims pouring into the mela grounds.
Pilgrims also came from West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, covering literally the length and breadth of the country.
A group of pilgrims also came all the way from Nepal to witness the Maha Kumbh on its closing day and take the holy dip on Maharashivratri.
Pinki Devi from Kolkata who perform the bathing rituals around 3.30 am, was ecstatic that she could take the holy dip on the auspicious day of Mahashivratri.
Many chanted ‘Har Har Mahadev’ or ‘Jai Mahakal’ adding to the religious fervour at the Mela ground.
Mahashivratri commemorates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and holds special significance in the context of the Kumbh Mela.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva played a crucial role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), which led to the emergence of the Amrit Kumbh (nectar pitcher), the very essence of the Kumbh Mela.
The day draws large crowds of devotees to the sacred confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, considered holy by Hindus.
A total of 1.33 crore devotees immersed themselves at the Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area on Tuesday, pushing the overall footfall during the Maha Kumbh 2025 to more than 64 crore, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The total number of visitors to the fair exceeds the population of all countries in the world except India and China, both of which have populations exceeding a billion, it said.
The Maha Kumbh has witnessed six special bathing dates — Paush Purnima on January 13, Makar Sankranti on January 14, Mauni Amavasya on January 29, Basant Panchami on February 3, Maghi Purnima on February 12, and Mahashivratri on February 26 — including three ‘Amrit Snan’.
Given the scale of the event and the sheer volume of attendees, authorities have enforced a “no vehicle zone” in the mela area and Prayagraj besides implementing strict crowd control measures and logistical support to facilitate a seamless culmination of Maha Kumbh 2025.
Overseeing preparations on the ground, DIG (Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna said expansive police deployment has been made in the Mela area.
“We are prepared particularly to handle a two-pronged situation, one is the rush of devotees at the ghats including Sangam and the other is crowd management at five main shivalayas in the mela area where devotees will offer sacred waters to Lord Shiva,” Mr. Krishna told PTI on Tuesday.
He added that the entire Mela area is “no-vehicle zone” since Tuesday evening and “no VIP treatment” will be accorded to anyone on Wednesday.
“We are expecting the footfall on Wednesday to be higher than it was on Tuesday [1.33 crore],” the DIG added.
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