Maha Kumbh devotee count crosses 50 cr, says UP govt
On main bathing days, Mauni Amavasya on January 29 saw the biggest gathering, with 8 crore devotees taking a dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati river.
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An aerial view of devotees taking a holy dip at the Sangam area during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela festival, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (PTI Photo) The number of devotees taking a dip at the Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj crossed the 50-crore mark on Friday, making it the largest congregation in the history for any religious, cultural, or social event, the Uttar Pradesh government claimed.
On main bathing days, Mauni Amavasya on January 29 saw the biggest gathering, with 8 crore devotees taking a dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati river.
On Makar Sankranti (January 14), nearly 3.5 crore devotees participated in the Amrit Snan while more than 2 crore devotees took a bath on January 30 and February 1, the government said.
On the Paush Purnima (January 13), the first day of the grand event, 1.7 crore devotees took the holy dip, the officials said, adding at least 2.57 crore devotees participated in the bathing ritual on Basant Panchami on February 2.
The Magh Purnima witnessed over 2 crore devotees bathing at the Sangam, it was claimed.
Meanwhile, on Friday, over 300 sanitation workers undertook a large river-cleaning drive at multiple ghats of the Ganga.
Akanksha Rana, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Maha Kumbh, said the record-setting cleanliness drive was carried out at three key ghats — Ram Ghat, Bhardwaj Ghat, and Gangeshwar Ghat.
“Besides making a world record, the campaign also raised awareness about maintaining the river’s cleanliness and ghats. With over 300 sanitation workers actively participating, the initiative marks the first-of-its-kind large-scale river-cleaning effort, setting a new global benchmark in environmental responsibility,” she said.
Representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records were present to witness the campaign, along with environmentalists and professors from MNIT, who served as official observers, Rana said.
“The entire process was documented through videography, which will undergo verification before receiving formal recognition,” she added.
The Mela Authority is set to attempt another world record on Saturday where the focus will be organising the largest synchronised sweeping drive, involving 15,000 participants in a coordinated cleaning effort. The initiative aims to promote cleanliness and environmental conservation as core values of the Maha Kumbh, the government said.
The Mela administration had set a record with 10,000 participants in 2019.
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