Mahakumbh Mela 2025 Highlights: On Day 4, lakhs brave biting cold to take holy dip in Sangam; over 6 crore participants till now

A controversy has erupted over anchor and influencer Harsha Richhariya sitting on a chariot along with seers during Chhavani Pravesh procession by members of the Niranjani Akhara, a ritual marking their formal entry in the Maha Kumbh.

Swami Anand Swaroop, chief of Kali Sena, has objected to her conduct, saying Kumbh is organised for spreading knowledge and spirituality and should not be used as a publicity event by models.

Images of Richhariya in saffron robes during the Kumbh had circulated in various media but she had later reportedly clarified that she was not as 'sanyasin' (ascetic).

President of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) Mahant Ravindra Puri, however, downplayed the issue, saying wearing saffron clothes is not a crime and the young woman had taken 'mantra deeksha' from a Mahamandaleshwar of Niranjani Akhara. (PTI)

Cloth bags, and steel plates and glasses are being distributed at the Maha Kumbh to ensure that the world's largest religious congregation is plastic-free, an RSS functionary said.

The "One Plate, One Bag" campaign was launched in Sector 18 on the Old GT Road by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sah-Sarkaryavah Krishna Gopal to replace plastic bags and disposable items, Prant Prachar Pramukh of the organisation, Murar Tripathi, said on Wednesday.

Addressing the pilgrims, Gopal said collective efforts were needed to create a plastic-free society and asserted that everyone should adopt the habit of using cloth bags.

"Cloth bags and carry bags are being distributed to visitors, with around 70,000 such bags already handed out from six centres. Additionally, he shared that 2 million steel plates and glasses have been collected from across the country," Tripathi said.

"These steel plates and glasses are being distributed to all langars (community kitchens) and food outlets within the mela area to replace plastic and thermocol utensils," Tripathi said.

Prominent attendees at the event included Rajendra Saxena, RSS Kshetra Marg Pramukh, and Ramesh Kumar, Prant Pracharak of the Kashi region of RSS.

On January 14, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while extending greetings on Makar Sankranti and the first 'Amrit Snan' this Maha Kumbh, urged people to adopt eco-friendly practices and avoid single-use plastic during pilgrimage. (PTI)

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is planning to take over 8,000 students to the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj for spiritual and cultural darshan. The students, mostly belonging to deprived classes and Scheduled Castes background, would visit the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela to ensure they become familiar with Hindu traditions, Indian culture and are prevented from “falling prey” to religious conversions. All students taking the trip will be above the age of 10 and will be accompanied by their parents. Read more.

On the statement of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Maha Kumbh, Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said "Akhilesh Yadav is completely derailed. He does not know that this wonderful Maha Kumbh is taking place. On such an occasion, I heartily congratulate all my colleagues."

This comes after Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the claims of grand arrangements at the Mahakumbh are "far from reality", claiming that pilgrims are struggling for basic amenities like food, drinking water and shelter. He said that senior citizens are being forced to walk for miles, and no one is listening to their grievances.

From putting products on display at stalls to setting up resting camps for pilgrims, consumer goods companies have been scrambling to showcase brands at Mahakumbh as devotees throng in record numbers to take a holy dip at Sangam -- the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati.

Top brands, including Dettol, Dabur, Pepsico, Coca-Cola, and corporate houses such as ITC and Reliance have set up camp ashrams, lined up their products, and are distributing samples and refreshments.

The unmissable signage boards make one thing clear: the companies are expecting to make their presence felt in the coming days.

The brands -- which have been facing headwinds owing to multiple factors led by rising prices and tepid sales in urban markets -- are taking the Mahakumbh as an opportunity to directly engage with the consumers -- especially the rural population -- and communicating with them through a host of special initiatives over 45-day-long events, in which about 40 crore people are estimated to attend.

Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL), the FMCG arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries retail empire, is offering services and product availability of its consumer products to enhance the pilgrim journey. (PTI)

Laurene Powell, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, began her Kalpvas last week. Being one of the VVIPs to attend the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, Powell is set to participate in the Mauni Amavasya on January 29.

Dressed in saffron robes, Powell is observing the age-old practice of Kalpvas, which involves a month-long period of austerity and devotion starting from Paush Purnima to Maghi Purnima.

The schools in Prayagraj will remain closed for classes 1 to 8 due to traffic amid the high influx of tourists visiting the Mahakumbh Mela 2025.

Basic Education Officer, on the orders of the District Magistrate, issued a public notice ordering the closure of all English and Hindi medium schools till class 8th on January 15.

This comes after the first 'Amrit Snan' of the Kumbh saw over 3.5 crore devotees taking a dip in the Triveni Sangam on Tuesday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath posted on X, "Heartiest greetings to all revered saints, Kalpvasis and devotees who took a holy dip of faith in the holy confluence on the auspicious occasion of holy 'Makar Sankranti' at the grand confluence of faith, equality and unity 'Mahakumbh-2025, Prayagraj'! Today, on the first Amrit Snan festival, more than 3.50 crore revered saints/devotees earned the holy benefit of bathing in the uninterrupted-clean Triveni. On the successful completion of the first Amrit Snan festival, heartfelt thanks to all the revered Akharas based on Sanatan Dharma, Maha Kumbh Mela administration, local administration, police administration, sanitation workers, voluntary organizations and religious institutions, boatmen and all the departments of the central and state government associated with Maha Kumbh and congratulations to the people of the state!"