The Mahakumbh Mela, which began in Prayagraj on January 13, came to an official close on Wednesday, aligning with the auspicious celebration of Maha Shivratri.
Spanning 45 days, the event drew more than 660 million people, making it the world’s largest human gathering, according to official estimates.
Even after the festival’s conclusion, devotees continued to flock to Prayagraj’s Triveni Sangam for a holy dip at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
In a post on X, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that more than 662.1 million devotees participated in the sacred bathing rituals during Mahakumbh 2025.
“The ‘Maha Yagya’ of humanity, the grand festival of faith, unity, and equality, Maha Kumbh-2025, Prayagraj, organised under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is moving towards its culmination today with the holy bath of Maha Shivratri,” the Chief Minister said.
He further added that this gathering was made possible due to the blessings of revered Akharas, saints, Mahamandaleshwars, and religious gurus.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya expressed gratitude to the millions who gathered at Triveni Sangam, describing the event as historic. “Today, Mahakumbh 2025 has been completed on the day of Maha Shivratri with spiritual unity, divine energy, and supernatural significance. After 144 years, the Mahakumbh became a center of attraction across the country and abroad. Under the guidance of PM Modi and leadership of CM Yogi, all steps were taken to conduct Maha Kumbh smoothly,” Maurya said.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw acknowledged the coordination efforts that facilitated the movement of devotees. “We were able to operate more than 16,000 trains when we had initially planned for 13,000 trains. About 4 to 5 crore devotees were brought to Sangam for the Mahakumbh,” he said.
He visited Prayagraj Junction and met railway officials on Thursday. “There was close coordination between state police, RPF, Rapid Action Force, and various railway departments. We ensured that devotees did not face any problems during the 45 days of Maha Kumbh. Holding areas played a crucial role. PM Modi guided us to consider the faith of the devotees and not look at them as a crowd. We will analyse all arrangements and bring permanent changes in the railway operations manual,” he added.
(ANI)