Devotees on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, also the last
day of the Mahakumbh Mela, in Prayagraj, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (PTI Photo)
MAHAKUMBH NAGAR — An unceasing stream of devotees from across India and abroad
continued to throng Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on Mahashivratri for a sacred
dip to attain 'moksha' and for spiritual purification, marking the final hours
of the 45-day Maha Kumbh.
The air resonated with chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' as
helicopters added to the grand spectacle of faith by showering flower petals
over the pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh where the footfall over the past six weeks
has far exceeded those at Mecca and Vatican City, according to Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Addressing the Legislative Council during the state's
Budget Session on Tuesday, Chief Minister Adityanath noted that while 1.4 crore
pilgrims visit Mecca annually for Haj and 80 lakh visit Vatican City in a year,
Ayodhya alone welcomed 16 crore devotees "in just 52 days".
Devotees on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, also the last
day of the Mahakumbh Mela, in Prayagraj, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (PTI Photo)
The latest count of devotees at 4 pm on Wednesday was
recorded at over 1.32 crore, while the overall figures have already surged past
65 crore, according to the Uttar Pradesh government, which is hosting the Maha
Kumbh on the banks of the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.
The Maha Kumbh, which takes place once in 12 years, began
on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and saw grand processions of 'akharas' (monastic
orders) including ash-smeared Naga Sadhus during the three 'Amrit Snans'.
Mahashivratri on Wednesday marks the last of the special
bathing dates and the culmination of the Mela. By 2 am on Wednesday, over 11.66
lakh devotees had immersed themselves in the sacred waters. The numbers surged
to 25.64 lakh in the next two hours and 41.11 lakh by 6 am while it swelled to
81.09 lakh by 10 am.
Adityanath began monitoring the arrangements at the Kumbh
Mela at 4 am from Gorakhpur with senior government officials.
In a post on X, the chief minister said, "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!"
The state government arranged for showering of petals
over devotees from a helicopter at the Kumbh. Twenty quintals of flower petals
were showered on the devotees in five rounds.
Being the last special bathing day, devotees had begun to
gather on the banks of the Sangam from close to midnight. While some camped and
waited patiently to take the dip at the 'Brahma Muhurt', scores of them
performed the bathing rituals well before the appointed time.
Billed as the world's largest spiritual gathering on
Earth, the mega religious festival on its last day attracted pilgrims from all
four corners of the country.
Albina from Russia told PTI Videos this was her first day
at Maha Kumbh. "It's like seeing all of India. It's interesting, I feel
good here," she said.
Constantine, who accompanied Albina, said in broken
English: "Fantastic, mystic, very nice, wow!"
Rajvir Singh Jhala (20), a BBA student from Rajkot took
the holy dip right at the Sangam nose as did his mother and other family
members who arrived in Prayagraj from Gujarat in a bus on Wednesday night.
"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 holy Sangam will not cleanse any
sin," Jhala told PTI right after his 'snan'.
UP cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta told PTI Videos that
around 24 crore pilgrims had come for the (Ardh) Kumbh in 2019 and this time
the figure has gone past 65 crore. "Certanly, Sanatan followers in the
whole world are happy. Here at the Kumbh, there is no discrimination of caste
and class, and everyone is taking a dip at the same Sangam."
Pilgrims also came from West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar,
Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, covering the length and breadth of the
country.
A group of devotees came from Nepal to witness the Maha
Kumbh on its closing day 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.
Chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Jai Mahakal' rang
throughout the Mela ground.
Mahashivratri commemorates the divine union of Lord Shiva
and Goddess Parvati and holds special significance in the context of the Kumbh
Mela.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva played a crucial
role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), which led to the emergence
of the Amrit Kumbh (nectar pitcher), the very essence of the Kumbh Mela.
The Uttar Pradesh government said the total number of
visitors to the fair exceeds the population of all countries in the world
except India and China, both of which have populations exceeding a billion.
The Maha Kumbh has witnessed six special bathing dates --
Paush Purnima on January 13, Makar Sankranti on January 14, Mauni Amavasya on
January 29, Basant Panchami on February 3, Maghi Purnima on February 12 and
Mahashivratri on February 26 -- including three 'Amrit Snans'.
Given the scale of the event and the sheer volume of
attendees, authorities have enforced a "no vehicle zone" in the Mela
area and Prayagraj besides implementing strict crowd control measures and
logistical support to facilitate a seamless culmination of Maha Kumbh 2025.
A stampede on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya last month
led to the deaths of at least 30 people and left 60 injured, according to the
government.
Overseeing preparations on the ground, DIG (Kumbh)
Vaibhav Krishna said expansive police deployment has been made in the Mela
area.
"We are prepared particularly to handle a
two-pronged situation, one is the rush of devotees at the ghats, including the
Sangam, and the other is crowd management at five main 'Shivalayas' in the Mela
area where devotees will offer sacred water to Lord Shiva," Krishna told
PTI early on Wednesday.
