Faith keeps devotees going as rush continues at Mahakumbh
Although various akharas and Kalpvasis have already left the tent city, visitors in huge numbers are taking the holy dip at Sangam every day
Despite the fact that the Mahakumbh-2025 will officially conclude on February 26, the devotee footfall continues to rise each passing day, showing their faith and religious sentiments.
Although various akharas and sadhus associated with them besides Kalpvasis have already left the tent city, visitors in huge numbers are taking the holy dip at Sangam every day.
This reversal of the earlier trend, where devotee count used to decline after the last Amrit Snan, has started to prove to be a formidable challenge for the mela and the district administration.
Despite reports of excessive devotee crowd remaining stuck for hours together in traffic snarls on roads leading to Prayagraj, people continue to arrive in Prayagraj to be part of the mega event taking place after 144 years due to a rare celestial alignment.
Zonal parking as well as bathing plans besides alternate closing down of pontoon bridges have helped so far in keeping things in control at all the 48 bathing ghats. Meanwhile, devotees baring the scorching sun treading 10 to 15 km from parking areas on the outskirts of city, where their vehicles were made to park, seem to be undeterred by the hardship they face.
“Ab aa gaye hain to Sangam pahuchenge bhi. Sab Ganga Maiyya Sambhalegi’ (Now when we have come, we will reach Sangam also. Mother Ganga will take care of everything),” says septuagenarian Somanya Devi from Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Unaware of the distance her family and she will have to travel as their four-wheeler was parked near Nehru Park on Kanpur Road in Dhoomanganj area, she kept on moving ahead slowly along with thousands of pilgrims like her on the two-lane road.
Similarly, Pradeep Ramteke from Nagpur, a businessman in his late 60s along with his wife, kept on walking with the crowd heading to Sangam from Civil Lines side.
“If over 50 crore devotees can take the holy dip at Triveni Sangam, I can also do it,” he says. “This rare celestial alignment will not arrive for the next 144 years. Our coming three generations would be deprived of what we will get today,” he adds.
Like previous days, devotees were made to take the one-way route for arriving in and departing from mela area to keep city roads free of traffic snarls. Long stretch full with devotees carrying belongings on their heads from Mahatma Gandhi Marg walked towards Sangam from Tikonia and GT Jawahar Square to reach mela area.
On the other hand, those returning after the bath were diverted towards Triveni Marg via Fort Road crossing, Alopi Bagh, Jawahar Lal Nehru road passing through Indian Press crossing and Hindu Hostel crossing before reaching Johnstanganj to head towards Prayagraj junction.
Not only inside the city, the pressure of devotees arriving at Sangam from Varanasi side also kept on rising leading to excessive crowd pressure in Jhunsi area.