Maha Kumbh 2025: World's largest spiritual gathering begins
What's the story
The world's largest spiritual congregation, the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, officially began in Prayagraj on Monday. The event is expected to draw in more than one crore devotees to the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. The festival started on "paush purnima" and will go on till February 26. The first two days alone are expected to witness over four crore devotees taking the holy dip.
City makeover
Prayagraj transforms for Maha Kumbh Mela
Prayagraj has changed beyond recognition to welcome the humongous crowd of pilgrims. The skyline is now illuminated with colorful lights and more than three lakh plants beautifying roads. Eight permanent ghats have been built on a 10,000-acre land near Sangam for the occasion. More than 1.6 lakh tents have been pitched for accommodation, and the region has been made a no-vehicle zone till Tuesday.
Cultural significance
Maha Kumbh: A window into India's spiritual heritage
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emphasized the cultural importance of the Maha Kumbh, saying it gives a rare opportunity to see India's spiritual heritage. The event will see processions of sadhus and seers, with the first "amrit snan" by Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and Sri Panchayathi Atal Akhara set to start at 6:15am on Tuesday. Author Yatindra Mishra called the festival "a place to search for one's own self," stressing its importance in soul cleansing and knowledge discovery.
Event preparations
Extensive transportation and medical arrangements in place
To ease the movement of pilgrims, around 13,000 trains and more than 7,000 buses have been arranged. This includes special trains and shuttle buses specifically meant for moving around the fair area. In terms of medical facilities, infrastructure improvements include emergency medical facilities with trained paramedics and a central hospital setup. Over 650 medical experts have been deployed to handle emergencies during the event.