Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla takes dip at Mahakumbh, calls it "congregation of India's spirituality, faith and culture"

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 15 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday took a dip in the sacred Triveni Sangam at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
The Lok Sabha speaker said that the Maha Kumbh Mela was a congregation of India's spirituality, faith and culture.
Further, he stated that he prayed for the well-being of the country.
Speaking to ANI, Birla said "This is a congregation of India's spirituality, faith, and culture... I have prayed for the well-being of all... It is an epitome of India's spirituality... People from all walks of life have come together irrespective of caste."
The 2025 Mahakumbh, which began on Paush Purnima (January 13, 2025), is the world's largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe. The grand event will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26.
Earlier in the day, Bhanu Bhaskar, ADG, Prayagraj, told ANI that more than 90 lakh devotees visited Prayagraj to attend Maha Kumbh on Friday. The movement was huge, but the police managed it well, he said.
"Our IG Range Prayagraj, Prem Gautam, visited Kaushambi and Fatehpur and even inspected drone footage (on Friday). Even I personally inspected many areas," Bhaskar told ANI.
"Traffic movement was huge, but everything was being managed well... UP Police personnel are working very hard and dedicatedly to ensure a smooth experience for all devotees," he added.
According to the Uttar Pradesh administration, the Mahakumbh has become the first event in the world to have more than 500 million direct participants.
The local administration reported that 17 million devotees took a dip on Paush Purnima, followed by 35 million on Makar Sankranti, 76.4 million on Mauni Amavasya, 25.7 million on Basant Panchami, and 14 million on Magh Purnima. As of 4:00 PM on Friday, over 7.9 million devotees had taken a dip in the Triveni Sangam.
The Uttar Pradesh government also noted that more than 200,000 Kalpavasis and approximately 7.7 million devotees attended the Mahakumbh Mela on Friday. Over 400,000 people travelled through 140 trains to attend the event, as per official data. (ANI)