Over 15 Million Take Holy Dip On First Day To Begin World’s Biggest Spiritual Gathering
As the world’s largest spiritual gathering, Maha Kumbh Mela begins on Monday (Jan 13) in India’s Prayagraj, over 15 million devotees took a holy dip on the first day to mark its beginning.
The Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years in India, witnessing a vibrant mix of holy men, pilgrims, tourists, and ascetics.
However, this year’s celebration is extremely significant as the Maha Kumbh Mela takes place once in 144 years, which marks this year’s Maha Kumbh as the 12th mela and a special celestial alignment of the sun, moon, and Jupiter.
This year, more than 400 million people are expected to visit Prayagraj to attend the holy gathering, which is going to be held for 45 days at the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the three rivers in Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that on the first bathing festival today, 15 million devotees earned the holy benefit of bathing in the Triveni.
मानवता के मंगलपर्व ‘महाकुम्भ 2025’ में ‘पौष पूर्णिमा’ के शुभ अवसर पर संगम स्नान का सौभाग्य प्राप्त करने वाले सभी संतगणों, कल्पवासियों, श्रद्धालुओं का हार्दिक अभिनंदन।
प्रथम स्नान पर्व पर आज 1.50 करोड़ सनातन आस्थावानों ने अविरल-निर्मल त्रिवेणी में स्नान का पुण्य लाभ अर्जित किया।…
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 13, 2025
IMD launches special webpage
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) created a special webpage for the Maha Kumbh, showing information on temperature, wind chill, wind speed and direction, humidity, and air quality to make it convenient for people to travel to the Mela.
It further offers hourly, three-hourly, and weekly forecasts for Prayagraj and neighbouring cities, including Ayodhya, Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, and Varanasi.
Kumbh Mela site protected with 7-ring security
The entire Kumbh Mela has turned into a fortress with the seven-ring security plan implemented for the safety of pilgrims.
The police declared the entire Mela area a “no vehicle zone” and implemented a traffic diversion plan on all the seven routes leading to Sangam.
#WATCH | Prayagraj | NSG commandos patrol to ensure the safety and security of devotees as #MahaKumbh2025 begins on the auspicious occasion of Paush Purnima, today. pic.twitter.com/evcP7wJoY7
— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2025
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi and the BJP-led state government have spent more than USD 813 million on infrastructure and sanitation projects for the Maha Kumbh Mela.
Mahant Durganand Brahmachari, one of the festival’s most senior priests, described the Kumbh Mela as “a great convergence of humans, gods, and our sacred rivers” and condemned attempts to sow religious divisions.
“What bothers me this time is how some people are trying to polarise the atmosphere on communal lines,” he said. “There has to be peaceful coexistence and hate should have no place. We see some people are trying to create Hindu-Muslim tensions.”
