Mahakumbh: Over 9.21 million devotees take holy dips in Sangam till 2:00 PM

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 15 (ANI): A huge number of pilgrims are visiting the ongoing 2025 Mahakumbh Mela to take a holy dip in the sacred Triveni Sangam (confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati). Over 9.21 million devotees took a dip in the Sangam till 2 PM, as per the data released by the Uttar Pradesh government.
As per the data, nearly 9.02 million people visited the Mahakumbh today and over 200,000 Kalpwasis remain at the banks of the sacred rivers.
More than 501 million people have taken holy dips in the Sangam as of February 14.
Over 2.79 lakh passengers boarded trains from Prayagraj railway station by 6 am on Saturday, as the Mahakumbh continued to draw massive crowds, according to Indian Railways.
On Friday (February 14), over 10.47 lakh passengers travelled on a total of 328 trains from Prayagraj.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday described his visit to the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj as an emotional moment for him.
Speaking to ANI, he said that the world's largest religious gathering exemplifies India's collective spirit.
"It's truly an emotional moment. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to visit Mahakumbh. This is the perfect example of India's collective spirit. More than 50 crore people from India and abroad have visited the Mahakumbh, showcasing India's growing power," the Union Minister said.
Recalling British rock band Coldplay's visit to Mahakumbh, he added, "I was in Belgium when I received information that Chris Martin of Coldplay wanted to visit Mahakumbh. I contacted the Chief Minister and made arrangements for his visit. He was thrilled after experiencing this unique event. This will send a message of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' to the world and the country."
With the number of over 501 million, the ongoing Mahakumbh has set a 'record'. This number exceeds the population of several major countries, including the United States, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, making the Mahakumbh the largest spiritual gathering in the world.
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 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. (ANI)