On the pious occasion of Maha Shivratri, hundreds of thousands of devotees flocked to Prayagraj’s Triveni Sangam on 26th February (Wednesday) for the final holy dip during the Maha Kumbh. The auspicious six-week religious gathering is scheduled to come to an end later today. Maha Shivratri, which commemorates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, is extremely important in relation to the Kumbh Mela.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Devotees continue to arrive in large numbers at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj to be a part of #MahaKumbh2025 on its last day. The Mela will conclude today, 26th February, on Maha Shivratri.
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2025
Drone visuals from the area. pic.twitter.com/g78va4B0Kq
The Amrit Kumbh (nectar pitcher), the focal point of the Maha Kumbh, emerged as a result of the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) in which Lord Shiva played a significant part, according to sacred texts. Government statistics showed that more than 11.66 lakh devotees took dip at the Sangam by 2 am and the figure increased to 25.64 lakh by 4 am and almost doubled to 41.11 lakh by 6 am. Over one crore (10 million) devotees are anticipated to attend the Sangam and take a holy bath during Maha Shivratri.
“Hearty congratulations to all the revered saints, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come to take a dip of faith in the Triveni Sangam today on the holy festival of Mahashivratri dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva in Maha Kumbh 2025, Prayagraj. May Lord Shiva, the lord of the three worlds and the holy river Mother Ganga bless everyone, this is my prayer,” Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated on X.
महाकुम्भ-2025, प्रयागराज में भगवान भोलेनाथ की उपासना को समर्पित महाशिवरात्रि के पावन स्नान पर्व पर आज त्रिवेणी संगम में आस्था की डुबकी लगाने हेतु पधारे सभी पूज्य साधु-संतों, कल्पवासियों एवं श्रद्धालुओं का हार्दिक अभिनंदन!
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) February 25, 2025
त्रिभुवनपति भगवान शिव और पुण्य सलिला माँ गंगा सभी का…
“More than 1.30 crore devotees today and over 63.36 crore devotees so far have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam at Maha Kumbh-2025, Prayagraj, a living symbol of India’s faith and Sanatan’s harmony. The festival of humanity. Hearty congratulations to all revered saints and devotees who received the holy benefit of the sacred bath today in this ‘Mahayagna’ of unity. Hail Mother Ganga,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on 24th February.
'एक भारत-श्रेष्ठ भारत' की विराट झांकी, 'अनेकता में एकता' के महापर्व महाकुम्भ-2025, प्रयागराज में आज 1.24 करोड़ से अधिक श्रद्धालु त्रिवेणी संगम में आस्था की डुबकी लगा चुके हैं।
— Yogi Adityanath Office (@myogioffice) February 25, 2025
एकता के इस 'महायज्ञ' में आज पवित्र स्नान का पुण्य लाभ प्राप्त करने वाले सभी पूज्य साधु-संतों और… pic.twitter.com/zbbfxngxKd
In addition to three “Amrit Snan,” the Maha Kumbh has seen six special bathing dates: Paush Purnima (13th January), Makar Sankranti (14th January), Mauni Amavasya (29th January), Basant Panchami (3rd February), Maghi Purnima (12th February) and Mahashivratri (26th February). According to the Uttar Pradesh government, an estimated 1.33 crore devotees took a holy bath at the Sangam and other ghats on 25th February, bringing the total number of visitors for the Maha Kumbh 2025 to more than 65 crore.
त्रिवेणी के घाटों पर आस्था का जनसमुद्र। अब तक कुल 65 करोड़ से अधिक श्रद्धालुओं ने किया स्नान। सनातन की भक्ति, शक्ति और श्रद्धा का अभूतपूर्व दृश्य आज त्रिवेणी पर दिखाई दे रहा है। #महाशिवरात्रि_महाकुम्भ pic.twitter.com/drMj3XBt0C
— Mahakumbh (@MahaKumbh_2025) February 26, 2025
On Mauni Amavasya, a maximum of around 8 crore devotees participated in the Maha Kumbh and the figure was 3.5 crore on Makar Sankranti. On 30th January and 1st February more than two crore devotees on each day dipped in the Ganga and Sangam and Paush Purnima witnessed 1.7 crore devotees in the Maha Kumbh. Furthermore, 2.57 crore people bathed in Triveni on Basant Panchami and over 2 crore did the same on Maghi Purnima.
Security personnel have been on high alert throughout the night as pilgrims from all over the nation traveled to Prayagraj to participate in the last “snan,” keeping a tight eye on the ghats and the growing crowds at Maha Kumbh Nagar. Devotees were constantly flooding the city’s highways, railway stations and entrances. Large numbers of law enforcement personnel, including police, paramilitary forces and disaster response teams, have been sent in to oversee the enormous crowd, guaranteeing crowd management, security, and logistical coordination. Command centers, CCTV monitoring with AI-enabled cameras, and surveillance drones have been established to watch developments in real time.
The Prayagraj Maha Kumbh, once-in-a-lifetime event said to be taking place after 144 years due to a rare celestial alignment commenced on 13th January and is set to end on 26th on February. It was predicted to attract more than 40 crore people making it the world’s largest human gathering, however, the number has already exceeded 65 crores. The largest Akhara in the Sanyasi tradition, Juna Akhada, Niranjani Akhada and Ahwan Akhada were among those that took part along with millions of others including celebrities from all over the world, in the holy assembly.
