Mahakumbh’s Grand Finale: Crores to Take Holy Dip on Mahashivratri

PRAYAGRAJ:
As the Mahakumbh reaches its grand conclusion, a massive influx of devotees is expected to take the holy dip at Sangam on Mahashivratri, marking the sixth and final bathing festival on Wednesday. With an estimated 2.5 crore devotees set to participate, the state government has put stringent measures in place to ensure a smooth and peaceful culmination of the 45-day spiritual extravaganza.

To manage the surge, the administration has implemented traffic restrictions and activated a zonal bathing plan across 48 designated ghats. Pontoon bridges have been temporarily closed and will be reopened based on necessity to control the crowd flow. District Magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand assured that comprehensive arrangements for parking and traffic diversions have been made to facilitate devotees.

Since its commencement on January 13 with Paush Purnima Snan, the Mahakumbh has witnessed an overwhelming turnout, with over 63.36 crore pilgrims having bathed at Sangam till Monday night. The count is expected to surpass 65 crore by the festival’s end.

On Mahashivratri, the auspicious window for the holy dip begins at 9:19 am on Wednesday and concludes at 8:09 am on Thursday. The event continues to attract people from all corners of India and the world, reinforcing its stature as one of the largest religious gatherings globally.