- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Right from the crack of dawn, millions of devotees have been thronging the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, to take the final ‘snan’
By: India Weekly
AMID chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, pilgrims on Wednesday (26) took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Mahashivratri as the 45-day Maha Kumbh inched towards its closure.
Right from the crack of dawn, millions of devotees have been thronging the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, to take the final ‘snan’.
Being the last auspicious ‘snan’ of the Maha Kumbh, a large number of devotees had begun to gather on the banks of the Sangam on Tuesday night itself.
Maha Kumbh, a mega religious gathering that takes place once in 12 years, began on January 13 and ends Wednesday (26), coinciding with the Mahashivratri, in honour of the deity Shiva.
The Kumbh Mela is rooted in Hindu mythology, a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality.
The festival had six special bathing dates – Paush Purnima (January 13), Makar Sankranti (January 14), Mauni Amavasya (January 29), Basant Panchami (February 3), Maghi Purnima (February 12), and Mahashivratri (February 26).
To prevent any untoward incident, the authorities have enforced a “no vehicle zone” in the mela area and Prayagraj city, and enforced strict crowd control measures for the smooth conduct of the culmination of Maha Kumbh 2025.
The Uttar Pradesh government had arranged a helicopter to shower petals over devotees gathered at the Sangam.
As pilgrims milled around and took the holy dip at various ghats at or near the Sangam, security personnel tried to prevent overcrowding at these ghats.
A stampede occurred on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya (January 29) and as per the government 30 people died and 60 were injured, though some media reports claim the casualty figures were much higher.
Another stampede happened at the New Delhi railway station on February 15, when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to Prayagraj city, which killed 18 people and 11 were injured.
But the twin tragedies failed to deter millions who continued to pour into the sprawling temporary township along the banks of the river.
Pilgrims came from all parts of the country, and also from neighbouring Nepal to witness the closing day of Maha Kumbh 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.
The organisers now face the massive task of cleaning the site up after the festival ends and pilgrims go home.
The Uttar Pradesh government has claimed that over 650 million devotees have visited this year’s Kumbh in Prayagraj.
The authorities claim the attendee estimates have been calculated using artificial intelligence and surveillance cameras, but the figures are impossible to independently verify.
However, the mela was a massive logistical exercise. The religious fair witnessed unprecedented security measures, including anti-drone systems and AI-enabled cameras, to man the Mahakumbh Nagar’s UP’s makeshift 76th district set up for the event.
It was spread across 40 hectares which remained abuzz with activity 24×7 over the past six weeks.
The festival has been hailed as a triumph by the Bharatiya Janata Party which is in power in the Centre and Uttar Pradesh state.
Both prime minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath claim the mela has been the “grandest” yet.
The six-week festival had many high-profile visitors including Modi and chief ministers and governors of various states.
Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, Katrina Kaif and others took a dip at the Sangam.
Business tycoons, including Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, along with family members visited the mela.
Laura Powell, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, British rock band Coldplay’s Chris Martin, also came for the dip.
Actor-turned-sadhvi Mamta Kulkarni, anointed as a mahamandelshwashar of the Kinnar Akhara also hogged limelight, triggering a controversy following objection from some seers, leading to her resignation, which was later withdrawn.
Social media influencer turned ‘sadhvi’ Harsha Richhariya, flower seller Monalisa Bhosle from Madhya Pradesh, and Abhay Singh famously known as ‘IIT Baba’, also made headlines at the Kumbh. (Agencies)
