Maha Kumbh begins in Prayagraj, more than one crore devotees take holy dip

Maha Kumbh Mela, humanity’s largest gathering, begins in Prayagraj

More than One Crore devotees from different walks of life took the holy dip in the bone-chilling water of river Ganga in the Sangam area on the occasion of ‘Paush Purnima‘ on Monday. The Maha Kumbh 2025 commenced here amid chants of bhajans and slogans. The excitement was clearly visible in the Sangam area as the pilgrims and devotees — mostly in groups — walked towards river Ganga and took a holy dip chanting ‘Jai Ganga Maiyya‘.

“Till 2.30 pm, over a crore pilgrims had taken dip,” the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement. The State government also said that a large number of devotees from India and abroad were seen at the Sangam Ghat.

The Maha Kumbh, the World’s largest gathering of humans, which began today with the ‘Shahi Snan‘ on ‘Paush Purnima’, has transformed the meeting point of rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the mystical Saraswati into a vibrant confluence of faith, culture, and humanity, with its fair share of global attendees experiencing the rare celestial alignment that occurs once every 144 years.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his greetings on the occasion of ‘Paush Purnima’. “Where there is a confluence of cultures, there is also a confluence of faith and harmony. Maha Kumbh-2025 is giving the message of ‘unity in diversity‘, Prayagraj is providing an encounter with Sanatan along with the welfare of humanity,” he said on X.

‘Jai Shri Ram‘, ‘Har Har Mahadev‘, and ‘Jai Ganga Maiyya‘ chants could be regularly heard as the pilgrims moved towards the bathing area in groups. The policemen were also seen guiding the pilgrims towards the bathing area.

A huge crowd from Prayagraj, and from other states like Bihar, Haryana, Bengal, Odisha, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh was seen at various ghats of Prayagraj, including Sangam, the statement said. The people selling puja items and applying tilak to the devotees on the ghats near the Sangam Mela area in Maha Kumbh Nagar appeared extremely busy.

The present edition of the Kumbh is being held after 12 years, though seers claim the celestial permutations and combinations for the event are taking place after 144 years, making the occasion even more auspicious. More than 250 individuals, who were separated from their families in the dense crowd in the early hours of the first day of Maha Kumbh 2025, were reunited through efficient measures by the fair administration, officials said.

To manage the enormous gathering, the Uttar Pradesh government implemented several crowd-control initiatives, including ‘Bhula-Bhatka’ camps, police assistance centers, and deployment of personnel on specially constructed watchtowers for the Mela. These camps feature dedicated sections for lost women and children, along with ‘Khoya-Paya’ (Lost and Found) centres equipped with digital tools and social media assistance. Loudspeakers placed along the ghats are continuously announcing missing persons’ names, allowing quick reunions, while police and civil defence personnel are actively assisting pilgrims on the ground. Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26, coinciding with Maha Shivratri.

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