Mahakumbh: Paush Purnima to herald month-long Kalpwas

According to additional mela officer Vivek Chaturvedi, the mela administration has made proper arrangements for about 25 lakh Kalpwasis.

The month- long Kalpwas would commence from the first bathing festival of Paush Purnima on Monday along with the beginning of Mahakumbh-2025. During Kalpwas, the practice of meditation and restraint will be undertaken by over 25 lakh devotees in different sectors of the mela area.

An aerial view of Sangam during Mahakumbh Mela (HT Photo)

According to additional mela officer Vivek Chaturvedi, the mela administration has made proper arrangements for about 25 lakh Kalpwasis.

Around 1.6 lakh tents for Kalpwasis have been set up along the banks of the Ganga, from Jhunsi to Phaphamau.

As per members of Prayagwal Sabha, organisation of teerth purohits, Kalpwas represented a sacred retreat, a period of intense spiritual discipline in the pursuit of higher consciousness.

During Kalpwas, devotees live on the banks of the Sangam for a month with discipline. They take three holy dips in the Ganga, engage in chanting, meditation, worship, and attend spiritual discourses.

The Kalpvasis will have access to ration and gas cylinders at affordable rates. Special ghats have been built for holy dips in the Ganga, with security measures like water police deployment and river barricades in place.

To protect pilgrims from the cold, arrangements for bonfires have been made, while hospitals have been set up within the Mela area to address health issues. The Teerthpurohits and Prayagwals conducting Kalpwas rituals have also been provided with special facilities.