Over 3.15 Crore Devotees Dip at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya
Over 3.15 Crore Devotees Dip at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya
Massive turnout as 3.15 crore devotees dip at Prayagraj’s Sangam on Mauni Amavasya, with tight security and extensive crowd management keeping Magh Mela running smoothly.
Prayagraj witnessed one of the largest religious gatherings in recent memory as Mauni Amavasya drew crowds to the Ganga and the Triveni Sangam. By 12 pm on Sunday, officials counted more than 3.15 crore devotees who had taken a holy dip, marking the main bathing festival of Magh Mela 2025-26.
Devotees began arriving from midnight, braving dense fog, and continued to stream in from all directions through the early morning hours, turning the ghats into a sea of saffron and white as prayers rose with the rising sun.
In a ceremonial highlight, flower petals were showered on devotees from a helicopter, following directions from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to add a reinforcing touch of reverence to the ritual.
Officials described the mela area as sprawling across 800 hectares and divided into seven sectors. The infrastructure supports more than 25,000 toilets and employs over 3,500 sanitation workers to maintain cleanliness, underscoring the scale of preparations required for such a vast crowd.
A tent city has been set up for Kalpvas, offering facilities for meditation and yoga, ensuring pilgrims can observe the austere observances in comfort. To ease movement, services such as bike taxis and golf carts have been deployed to navigate the sprawling festival site.
On security and crowd management, authorities have stationed more than 10,000 police personnel across the mela area to ensure safety and smooth movement. For traffic and parking, 42 temporary zones have been created with a capacity to accommodate over one lakh vehicles.
Bathing ghats are extensive, spanning a total of 12,100 feet, and basic facilities are in place to serve the thousands who visit the ritual sites. Reflective tapes on poles have been installed to help pilgrims navigate the area, while ongoing sanitation and cleanliness drives aim to keep the site welcoming for visitors throughout the festival.
As Magh Mela continues, authorities are prioritizing safety, logistics, and accessibility to accommodate pilgrims from across the region while preserving the spirit of this enduring cultural and religious tradition.
