Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Nearly 60 lakh devotees take holy dip on the first day

The fog was thick the cold intense and the waters freezing as the Maha Kumbh the worlds largest gathering began on Monday with tens of lakhs of people taking a dip in the Sangam in their quest for moksha and the belief it will cleanse their sinsSpirituality and faith culture and religion tradition and modernday technology it all fused into one in the confluence of the Ganga Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati in Prayagraj More than 40 crore people are expected over 45 days in the mela being held after 12 years Besides seers claim the celestial permutations and combinations for the event are taking place after 144 years making the occasion even more auspicious for the faithfulAnd as the famed mela formally began on the occasion of Paush Purnima to the sound of conch shells and bhajans the excitement was palpable in the sprawling Sangam area as devotees mostly in groups walked towards the waters chanting Jai Ganga MaiyyaTill 930 am around 60 lakh pilgrims had taken a dip the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statementA very special day for crores of people who cherish Bharatiya values and culture Maha Kumbh 2025 commences in Prayagraj bringing together countless people in a sacred confluence of faith devotion and culture The Maha Kumbh embodies Indias timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on XAsh smeared sadhus from their abode in the Himalayas the religious from across the country and abroad and those just curious to take in the sights and sounds of the biggest religious spectacle of all the 45day Maha Kumbh beckoned them allThirteen Akharas of seers from different sects are participating in the Maha KumbhI practise yoga in Brazil I have come here for moksha This one is very special once in 144 years I am very lucky to be here India is like spiritual heights of the world I have four days to get moksha laughs Sanatan Dharma is my mission of life and it changed my life it changed the way I see the world my familyiquest Jai Shri Ramiquest a devotee from Brazil saidIt is very special for me to be with you all Indians here I am feeling grateful for this opportunity to dive into the sacred river here at the sacred point I am fulfilled with bliss at this moment added Julie from SpainChants of Jai Shri Ram Har Har Mahadev and Jai Ganga Maiyya chants could be heard as the pilgrims moved towards the bathing area in groupsA group of women from Uttar Pradeshs Siddharth Nagar was busy singing folk songs And there was a team of YouTubers from South Korea capturing various shots of the Maha Kumbh as was a team from JapanContingents from states across India were seen too at various ghats of PrayagrajAppreciating the arrangements made for the devotees Kailash Narayan Shukla from Hamirpur in Himachal said Good arrangements were made for the pilgrims and we had no problems in taking the holy dipWhere there is a confluence of cultures there is also a confluence of faith and harmony Maha Kumbh2025 is giving the message of unity in diversity Prayagraj is providing an encounter with Sanatan along with the welfare of humanity Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on XIt is a massive logistical exercise for the governmentSpanning 10000 acres the event will set an exemplary standard for cleanliness security and modernity To enhance the convenience of devotees a digital tourist map will facilitate monitoring the cleanliness of toilets while an AIpowered security system integrated with smartphones will ensure safety the chief minister said earlierMahakumbh Nagar is the worlds worlds largest temporary city accommodating 50 lakh to 1 crore devotees at any given time Adityanath saidAccording to Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh more than 55 police stations have been set up along with 45000 police personnel being deployed for the fair Projects have also been sanctioned to monitor social media continuously to guard against any mischief he saidAs many as 30 pontoon bridges both in the Sangam area and Phaphamau have also been readied to facilitate the movement of people from one end of the confluence to the otherHuge gates have also been installed at some of the entry points to welcome the devotees into the holy cityIn the digital era Maha Kumbh is also trending on social media with devotees sharing their experiences by posting videos and pictures with many offering their families virtual darshan of Ganga via video callThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever