Maha Kumbh's final 'snan' begins on Mahashivratri

Kunal Dutt and Kishor Dwivedi, PTI

Amid chants of 'Har Har Mahadev', hordes of pilgrims from Gujarat to Karnataka on Wednesday took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Mahashivratri as the 45-day Maha Kumbh inched towards its closure.

Maha Kumbh, the spectacle that takes place once in 12 years, began on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and saw grand processions of Naga Sadhus and three 'Amrit Snans'.

The mega religious gathering has drawn a record over 65 crore pilgrims so far.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been monitoring the snan since 4 am from Gorakhpur with senior government officials.

In a post on X, the CM said, '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!.'

According to government data, by 2 am today, over 11.66 lakh devotees immersed themselves in the Sangam.

This number surged to 25.64 lakh within the next two hours and nearly doubled by 6 am, with 41.11 lakh devotees taking a dip.

Being the last auspicious 'snan' of the Maha Kumbh, a large number of devotees had begun to gather on the banks of the Sangam from close to midnight, and while some camped and waited patiently to take the dip at 'Brahma Muhurt', scores of them performed the bathing rituals much before the appointed time.

Billed as the world's largest spiritual gathering on earth, the mega religious festival on its last day attracted pilgrims from all four corners of the country.