Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh):

The Uttar Pradesh police has set up a special floating police chowki (post) to assist devotees as the 45-day-long Maha Kumbh commenced on Monday, starting with the auspicious occasion of Paush Purnima.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh police built a special floating police chowki to help devotees as the 45-day #Mahakumbh2025 begins with the auspicious Paush Purnima, today pic.twitter.com/1JE2tzQ8mH

— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2025

Prayagraj witnessed a large gathering of devotees at Triveni Sangam with the ‘Shahi Snan’ on the auspicious occasion of Paush Purnima.

A large number of devotees continued to arrive at the bank of Triveni Sangam – a scared confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and ‘mystical’ Saraswati. Devotees took a holy dip and performed the sacred ritual on this auspicious occasion.

A devotee Vijay Kumar said, “… The arrangements here are very good. There is an arrangement for everything – for food and accommodation… the roads are also good.”

“We go to Kumbh Mela wherever it is organised. I live in a small temple – I go to every pilgrim in India…,” another devotee said.

This year, Maha Kumbh, the largest spiritual gathering in the world, has become more special because of the rare celestial alignment that occurs only once in 144 years.

Traffic Police authorities have made elaborate arrangements and implemented a detailed plan to ensure smooth vehicular movement and safety for devotees visiting the Maha Kumbh Mela.

Notably, the entry route to the Sangam Mela area will be through Jawaharlal Nehru Marg (Black Road), while the exit route will be via Triveni Marg. During the major bathing festivals, the Akshayavat Darshan will remain closed for visitors.

Parking lots for vehicles coming from Jaunpur would include Chini Mill Parking, Purva Surdas Parking, Garapur Road, Samyamai Temple Kachar Parking and Badra Saunoti Rahimapur Marg, Northern/Southern Parking.

Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar talked about the preparations made for the Mahakumbh, saying that attention has been paid to the infrastructure of the railway stations.

“A lot of attention has been paid to the infrastructure of the railway stations. We have built new stations. We will run around 13,000 trains including the special and regular trains. This time 10,000 regular and 3,000 special trains will run,” Mr Kumar told ANI.

The Maha Kumbh is being celebrated after 12 years, and over 45 crore devotees are expected for the event. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh):

Prayagraj witnessed a large gathering of devotees at Triveni Sangam as Maha Kumbh commenced with the ‘Shahi Snan’ on the auspicious occasion of Paush Purnima on Monday.

A large number of devotees are arriving at the bank of Triveni Sangam – a sacred confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and ‘mystical’ Saraswati. Devotees took a holy dip and performed the sacred ritual on this auspicious occasion.

A devotee Vijay Kumar said, “… The arrangements here are very good. There is an arrangement for everything – for food and accommodation… the roads are also good.”

“We go to Kumbh Mela wherever it is organised. I live in a small temple – I go to every pilgrim in India…,” another devotee said.

A devotee from Rajasthan’s Jaipur, Chunni Lal said, “…I thank CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Modi; we all are feeling good by being here.”

“The government has made good arrangements. I am thankful to the media as well… We are going to take a holy dip,” a devotee said.

Meanwhile, NDRF teams and water police of Uttar Pradesh Police deployed at places to ensure the safety and security of devotees.

This year, Maha Kumbh, the largest spiritual gathering in the world, has become more special because of the rare celestial alignment that occurs only once in 144 years.

Traffic Police authorities have made elaborate arrangements and implemented a detailed plan to ensure smooth vehicular movement and safety for devotees visiting the Maha Kumbh Mela
Notably, the entry route to the Sangam Mela area will be through Jawaharlal Nehru Marg (Black Road), while the exit route will be via Triveni Marg. During the major bathing festivals, the Akshayavat Darshan will remain closed for visitors.

Parking lots for vehicles coming from Jaunpur would include Chini Mill Parking, Purva Surdas Parking, Garapur Road, Samyamai Temple Kachar Parking and Badra Saunoti Rahimapur Marg, Northern/Southern Parking.

The Maha Kumbh is being celebrated after 12 years, and over 45 crore devotees are expected for the event. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

India is all set to host the world’s largest gathering of humanity, with over 400 million people expected to gather in the city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh for the Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival. A sacred event for Hindus, the Maha Kumbh is set to start on Monday, with devotees from across India and beyond lining up to take a holy dip at the confluence of three sacred rivers – the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati.

During six weeks from January 13 to February 26, pilgrims will take part in elaborate rituals, prayers and religious processions with elephants, as well as horse-back parades and chariots. 

Mythology Behind Maha Kumbh 

Source: AFP

The organisation of Maha Kumbh finds its roots in Hindu mythology that says lord Vishnu wrested a golden pitcher, or Kumbh, containing the nectar of immortality from demons. In a 12-day celestial fight for possession, four drops fell to earth, in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, which host the festival every three years by rotation. 

The Kumbh is held once every 12 years in this cycle and has the prefix ‘maha’ (great) as it is considered more auspicious due to its timing and attracts the largest gathering.

Sacred Bathing

Source: AFP

A central part of the Kumbh Mela’s rituals is bathing in the holy rivers, with the dawn charge often led by naked, ash-smeared monks. Devout Hindus believe that taking a dip in the sacred waters during the Kumbh Mela absolves people of sins and brings salvation from the cycle of life and death.

Many pilgrims embrace a life of simplicity during the festival — vowing non-violence, celibacy and the offering of alms — and focusing on prayer and meditation. 

Key Dates

Source: AFP

The Holy bathing takes place every day of the Kumbh festivities, but on the most auspicious dates, it is known as Shahi Snan, or “royal bath”. Ceremonies also include the visually spectacular “aarti” when vast numbers of priests perform rituals holding flickering lamps.

Key dates include January 13, the start of the festivities that coincides with the full moon. One of the most popular days is January 29, Mauni Amavasya, when celestial alignments are said to be ideal for purifying waters. Celebrations culminate on February 26, Maha Shivaratri, the final holy bathing day. 

Mega Test Of Crowd Management

Source: AFP

Organisers say the scale of preparations for the Kumbh Mela is akin to setting up a country from scratch. It is a big test for authorities to showcase India’s ability to organise and manage the movement of millions of people and retain the ancient festival’s sanctity.

A sprawling 4,000 hectares of open land along the banks of the rivers has been converted into a temporary city to house the visitors in 150,000 tents and comes equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 restrooms and 99 parking lots.

Authorities are also installing up to 450,000 new electricity connections, with the Kumbh expected to drain more power than what 100,000 urban apartments in the region consume in a month.

Indian Railways has introduced 98 special trains that will make 3,300 trips during the festival to transport visitors besides regular trains that connect Prayagraj.

Prashant Kumar, the police chief of Uttar Pradesh, said around 40,000 police personnel and cybercrime experts have created a web of surveillance powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to protect and help navigate the sea of humanity at the site.

“Security and safety of pilgrims is our priority,” said Kumar.

Emergency response capabilities include 125 road ambulances, seven river ambulances and air ambulances for swift medical assistance.

The state government has allocated 64 billion rupees ($765 million) for this year’s event, officials said. It has also promoted the Kumbh Mela at several international tourism expositions and invited foreign representatives.