According to government data, by 2 am today, over 11.66 lakh devotees immersed themselves in the Sangam. This number surged to 25.64 lakh within the next two hours and nearly doubled by 6 am, with 41.11 lakh devotees taking a dip
The 45-day Maha Kumbh Mela of 2025 is ending today with the auspicious event of Mahashivratri and lakhs of pilgrims have reached Triveni Sangam to take the final holy dip. Chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' can be heard since the dawn as pilgrims from not just Indian states but neighbouring countries like Nepal have gathered.
According to government data, by 2 am today, over 11.66 lakh devotees immersed themselves in the Sangam. This number surged to 25.64 lakh within the next two hours and nearly doubled by 6 am, with 41.11 lakh devotees taking a dip.
The Uttar Pradesh government has implemented 'no vehicle zones' in the mela premises along with strict crowd management measures including a constant vigilance in the sangam area for a smooth conclusion of the festival.
The world's largest religious festival, Kumbh mela takes place once in 4 years or 12 years and this time it was even more significant as Maha Kumbh takes place once in 144 years and it began on January 13, 2025 (Paush Purnima) and saw grand processions of Naga Sadhus and three 'Amrit Snans'.
So far, the mega religious gathering has drawn a record over 65 crore pilgrims.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who has reportedly been monitoring the snan since 4 am with senior government officials at his residence in Lucknow.
In a post on X, the CM 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!."
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.
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.
As pilgrims milled around and took the holy dip at various ghats at or near the confluence site, security personnel kept a vigilant eye, not allowing crowding at any place for long duration, as they sought to manage the sea of pilgrims pouring into the mela grounds.
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 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 told PTI on Tuesday.
He added that the entire Mela area is "no-vehicle zone" since Tuesday evening and "no VIP treatment" will be accorded to anyone on Wednesday.
"We are expecting the footfall on Wednesday to be higher than it was on Tuesday (1.33 crore)," the DIG added.
Pilgrims came from West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh while several others came from Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, covering literally the length and breadth of the country.
A group of pilgrims also came all the way 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 holy dip on the auspicious day of Mahashivratri.
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 is 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 even cleanse any sin," Jhala told PTI right after the 'snan'.
Four teenagers from Nepal, along with three other members, took the holy dip to celebrate Mahashivratri.
Manish Mandal, Rabbj Mandal, Arjun Mandal and Dipak Sahni and his uncle Domi Sahni wore matching Lord Shiva themed tunics while the three youths also sported a "gamcha' bearing 'Mahakal' on it.
"We are from Janakpur in Nepal, a place associated with Mata Sita. Our city is famous for Janaki Temple too. And, after the holy dip, we will be going to Ayodhya for darshan of Lord Ram," Sahni told PTI.
The members of the group from Nepal travelled first to Jayanagar from their home town and then a train of Indian Railways to reach Prayagraj.
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.
Being the last auspicious 'snan' of the Maha Kumbh, a large number of devotees had begun to gather on the banks of the Sangam from close to midnight, and while some camped and waited patiently to take the dip at 'Brahma Muhurt', scores of them performed the bathing rituals much before the appointed time.
The day draws large crowds of devotees to the sacred confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, considered holy by Hindus. Many chanted 'Har Har Mahadev' or 'Jai Mahakal' adding to the religious fervour at the Mela ground.
A total of 1.33 crore devotees immersed themselves at the Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area on Tuesday, pushing the overall footfall during the Maha Kumbh 2025 to more than 64 crore, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
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, it said.
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 Snan'.
This year's Maha Kumbh also witnessed some tragedies including a stampede in the mela premises on January 29 that reportedly claimed 30 lives and injured several others. Another stampede took place at New Delhi Railway station on February 15 where at least 18 people were killed while boarding a train to reach Prayagraj. There were also some hiccups while controlling traffic as the congestion continued nearly 300km on some days.