Maha Kumbh: 25 million devotees take holy dip in Sangam so far on Makar Sankranti

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 14 (ANI): The Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the world's largest gatherings, witnessed a massive turnout on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Tuesday, with millions of devotees taking a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Ganges at the Sangam.
As many as 25 million devotees have taken a holy dip in the Sangam by 3 pm today in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
The festival, which marks the beginning of the sun's journey towards the northern hemisphere, saw people from every state and every caste of India, as well as foreign nationals from many countries, come together to celebrate the sacred event.
The festival has been organised under the leadership of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and has seen a massive turnout of devotees from all over India and abroad.
"My name is Dhiraj and I am from Scotland. My experience here is very good so far. I arrived yesterday. I did the first 'snan.'. I've been before, though. I've been to Kumbh Mela before but never seen anything on such a big scale... I saw the Nagas and the processions going to 'Shahi Snan... it was very, very interesting. I've never seen anything like it in my whole life," a devotee said.

CM Adityanath extended heartfelt congratulations to all the devotees who participated in the first 'Amrit Snan.'.
Advisor to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said, "Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the arrangements of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the 2019 Kumbh was very good, with more than 25 crore people visiting. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is monitoring the Maha Kumbh every hour... We believe that this time more than 50 crore people will come to the Maha Kumbh."
"I was thinking about what I did in my previous birth, so that I got this opportunity in this birth to take a dip in the holy rivers. God picked me up from America, from California, in this birth and brought me here to India, brought me to the Himalayas, brought me to the banks of the Ganges and then gave me the opportunity to bathe in the Mahakumbh," another devotee who took holy dip in the Sangam said.
The Maha Kumbh 2025 commenced on January 13, 2025, the auspicious day of Paush Purnima, with unparalleled grandeur, marking the start of a 45-day-long spiritual and cultural celebration in Prayagraj. (ANI)