Maha Kumbh's final 'snan' underway on Mahashivratri, 81 lakh devotees take dip
Mahakumbh Nagar: Amid chants of 'Har Har Mahadev', a multitude of pilgrims from across the country on Wednesday took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Mahashivratri as the 45-day Maha Kumbh inched towards its closure.
Maha Kumbh, a mega religious gathering that takes place once in 12 years, began on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and saw grand processions of Naga Sadhus and three Amrit Snans. As per official figures, over 65 crore devotees have so far visited this year's Kumbh in Prayagraj.
According to government data, by 2 am on Wednesday, over 11.66 lakh devotees immersed themselves in the Sangam on Mahashivratri, which marks the last day of the Kumbh. The number surged to 25.64 lakh in the next two hours and 41.11 lakh by 6 am. By 10 am, 81.09 lakh people had taken the final 'snan' at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath began monitoring the arrangements at the Kumbh Mela at 4 am from Gorakhpur with senior government officials.
In a post on X, the CM said, "Hearty congratulations to all the revered saints, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come to take a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam today on the holy bathing festival of Mahashivratri dedicated to the worship of Lord Bholenath in Maha Kumbh-2025, Prayagraj.....Har Har Mahadev!"
The state government arranged for showering of petals over devotees from a helicopter at the Kumbh. Twenty quintals of flower petals were showered on the devotees in five rounds.
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 the 'Brahma Muhurt', scores of them performed the bathing rituals well 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 or 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 his 'snan'.
As pilgrims milled around and took the holy dip at various ghats at or near the Sangam, 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 devotees 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 performed the bathing rituals around 3.30 am was ecstatic that she could take the dip on the auspicious day. Chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' or 'Jai Mahakal' rang throughout 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.
The Uttar Pradesh government said 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.
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.
A stampede on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya last month led to the deaths of at least 30 people and left 60 injured, as per the government.
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 the Sangam, and the other is crowd management at five main 'shivalayas' in the mela area where devotees will offer sacred water to Lord Shiva," Krishna told PTI on Wednesday.
He added that the entire mela area has been designated a "no-vehicle zone" since Tuesday evening and "no VIP treatment" will be accorded to anyone. "We are expecting the footfall on Wednesday to be higher than it was on Tuesday (1.33 crore)," the DIG added.
