Amid resounding chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, thousands of pilgrims from Gujarat to Karnataka took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Wednesday, as the 45-day Maha Kumbh moved towards its conclusion on the occasion of Mahashivratri.
The Maha Kumbh, held once every 12 years, commenced on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and featured grand processions of Naga Sadhus and three ‘Amrit Snans’.
This year’s event has seen a record-breaking attendance of over 65 crore pilgrims.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the sacred bathing from Gorakhpur with senior government officials from 4 am. In a post on X, he extended his greetings, stating, “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!”
According to official figures, 11.66 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip by 2 am. This number surged to 25.64 lakh by 4 am and nearly doubled by 6 am, with 41.11 lakh pilgrims immersing themselves in the Sangam.
As the last auspicious ‘snan’ of the Maha Kumbh, devotees had begun gathering near the banks from midnight. Many waited to bathe at ‘Brahma Muhurt’, while others performed the rituals earlier.
On its final day, the festival attracted devotees from across the country. Rajvir Singh Jhala, a 20-year-old BBA student from Rajkot, took the holy dip at the Sangam nose along with his family.
“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 the holy Sangam will not even cleanse any sin,” Jhala said.
Pilgrims from West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Nepal gathered to witness the closing day of the Maha Kumbh. Pinki Devi from Kolkata, who performed the rituals around 3:30 am, expressed joy at being able to take the holy dip on Mahashivratri.
Many chanted ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Jai Mahakal’, adding to the spiritual fervour.
Mahashivratri, marking the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, holds special significance at the Kumbh Mela. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva played a key role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), which led to the emergence of the Amrit Kumbh (nectar pitcher), the foundation of the Kumbh Mela.
The confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati is considered sacred by Hindus, drawing millions to Prayagraj.
On Tuesday, 1.33 crore devotees took a dip in the Sangam and other ghats, pushing the overall footfall at Maha Kumbh 2025 beyond 64 crore, according to the Uttar Pradesh government. The total number of visitors surpasses the population of all countries except India and China, the government stated.
The Maha Kumbh featured six special bathing dates: Paush Purnima (13 January), Makar Sankranti (14 January), Mauni Amavasya (29 January), Basant Panchami (3 February), Maghi Purnima (12 February), and Mahashivratri (26 February), including three ‘Amrit Snan’.
Given the scale of the event, authorities enforced a ‘no-vehicle zone’ in the Mela area and Prayagraj while implementing strict crowd control measures.
DIG (Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna stated that extensive police deployment was in place. “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,” Krishna said on Tuesday.
He added that since Tuesday evening, the entire Mela area was designated a ‘no-vehicle zone’ and that ‘no VIP treatment’ would be given on Wednesday. “We are expecting the footfall on Wednesday to be higher than it was on Tuesday (1.33 crore),” he stated.
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