LUCKNOW: Millions of devotees, saints, and seers will converge on the ghats at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the fabled Saraswati on a cold winter morning, when the heavens are still waiting for the sun to rise. On Monday, they will take the sacred plunge to commemorate the start of Mahakumbh 2025.
A day before the first bathing festival, Paush Purnima, approximately 50 lakh devotees swam in Mahakumbh Nagar on Sunday at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the fabled Saraswati rivers, according to officials.
This 12-year-old Mahakumbh is noteworthy for a number of reasons. Two prolonged Shahi (Amrit) Snans are held on January 13 for Paush Poornima and January 14 for Makar Sankranti. Additionally, it falls within 144 years of a Pushya Nakshatra, a revered planetary alignment.
With a seven-ring security system in place to protect pilgrims, the 10,000-acre mela region has been turned into a fortress. The 45-day Mahakumbh, which will include a month-long Kalpvas—a time of religious discipline for spiritual elevation—is anticipated to draw over 40 crore followers.
During the mela, there will be six Amrit Snans. The third will be held in Mauni Amavasya on January 29, after the previous two on January 13 and 14.
Following this, the mela will conclude with the fourth on Basant Panchami on February 3, the fifth on Magh Poornima on February 12, and the last one on Mahashivratri on February 26.
The 13 Akharas (Hindu monastic orders) will enter one section of the Triveni pontoon bridge in turn at each Amrit Snan.
The first dip will be led by the seers of Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, and then by the three Ani Akharas (Nirmohi, Digambar, and Nirwani), Naya Udaseen, Bada Udaseen Akhara, Panchayati Akhara Nirmal, and Shri Panchayati Atal Akhara, Niranjani, Anand, Juna Akhara, Panchnam Dhashnaam Avahan Akhara, Shambhu Panch Agni Akhara.
The holy plunge will be open to regular devotees after the akharas. On Amrit Snan days, Mela officials anticipate an average of more than two crore devotees, with the exception of Mauni Amavasya, when eight to ten crore are anticipated.
Three crore pilgrims are scheduled to visit Makar Sankranti, while at least one crore devotees are expected to attend Paush Poornima.
Drone footage shows the Sangam region on Sunday, January 12, 2025, before the Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj.
Approximately 12,000 Sanyasis from different akharas will also be granted the title of “Naga Sanyasi” at this Mahakumbh.
Before entering a life of seclusion, these saints execute their own and their parents’ “Pind Daan” and give up worldly attachments. Numerous Naga Sanyasis will be members of the four major akharas: Bada Udaseen, Mahanirvani, Niranjani, and Juna.
In only two and a half months, a permanent “city of tents” has been set up on the 10,000-acre mela grounds for this major occasion. An estimated two crore people live in this temporary metropolis, including 30 lakh Kalpvasis. There are also more than a crore mahatmas, seers, and their followers.
During the Amrit Snan, 41 ghats along the Sangam will be utilized for bathing, with one ghat reserved only for Akharan saints. This ghat will not be accessible to ordinary worshipers. Devotees will be doused with flower petals on every Amrit Snan day.
To guarantee a smooth swimming experience on Monday, magistrates have been stationed at the ghats. The management of the ghats, especially at the Sangam Nose, has been assigned to 16 SDMs, COs, two IAS officials, and four IPS officers. To promote easy mobility, cars have also been prohibited within the fair area.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has implemented sophisticated meteorological services for pilgrims’ comfort and safety. Every 15 minutes, five recently constructed weather stations will provide real-time information. In the Sangam area, a large digital display board that shows the current weather and the predictions for the next several hours has also been put.
With its unparalleled spiritual assembly of millions of devotees, this Mahakumbh promises to be a heavenly and historic sight.
