Maha Kumbh ends today with holy dip for Shivratri

A drone shot showing Sangam area on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (PTI Photo)

Over 41 lakh devotees at Maha Kumbh final ‘snan’ till 6 am

According to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, over 11.66 lakh devotees had already taken a bath in the Sangam till 2 am on Wednesday. Government data showed that this number rose to 25.64 lakh within the next two hours, and then almost doubled to 41.11 lakh devotees by 6 am. Adityanath, who is monitoring the ‘snan’ (bath) since 4 am with senior government officials at his Lucknow residence, congratulated the people visiting Maha Kumbh. “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!.” he wrote on X.

How the start of the day looked like

Considered to be the world’s largest spiritual gathering, pilgrims poured from all four corners of the country — including states like West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh among others — on the closing day. There were also people who came all the way from Nepal to witness the Maha Kumbh on its final day.

A large number of devotees thronged the banks of the Sangam from close to midnight, and while some camped and waited patiently for the  final auspicious ‘snan’ of the Maha Kumbh, at ‘Brahma Muhurt’. A number of them also performed the bathing rituals much before the moment.

Devotees perform rituals after taking a holy dip in the Ganga river on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (PTI Photo)

Security tightened up at bathing sites, mela ground

Following a stampede last month, authorities have implemented stricter crowd control measures the mela ground and Prayagraj. Security has been tightened up at the various bathing ghats at or near the confluence site, disallowing crowding for long duration at any point. Authorities have also enforced a “no vehicle zone” and logistical support to facilitate a seamless culmination of Maha Kumbh 2025.

DIG (Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna, who is overseeing the preparations, 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,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying on Tuesday. The entire Mela area is put under “no-vehicle zone” since Tuesday evening and “no VIP treatment” will be given to anyone on Wednesday, he said. “We are expecting the footfall on Wednesday to be higher than it was on Tuesday (1.33 crore),” the DIG added.

Crowd control measures in Varanasi too

The Varanasi administration and police too are anticipating the biggest-ever crowd in the district on the occasion of Maha Shivratri on Wednesday. Officials said on Tuesday that heavy rush is expected as a large number of pilgrims travelling from the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj to Varanasi, which is at a distance of about 130 kms from the mela site.

A police officer said the traffic management plan, prepared in anticipation of the surge in pilgrims, is being strictly implemented, curbing prolonged vehicular congestion in Varanasi. Additionally, a traffic diversion plan has been enforced to ensure smooth movement across the district. This includes establishing barricades at key locations and restricting vehicle entry within city limits. In some regions of the district, movement of vehicles is also prohibited.

To manage the rush at railway stations, designated holding areas have been set up where passengers are guided to their trains in an organised manner. Police teams are deployed on both ends of these holding areas, ensuring seamless movement. Waiting arrangements have also been made for passengers travelling to Prayagraj, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and other destinations at the railway station.

— with inputs from PTI