Millions of pilgrims returning from Maha Kumbh visiting Varanasi's Vishwanath temple

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 16 (ANI): Devotees in large numbers are arriving in Varanasi for darshan at the Kashi Vishwanath temple after taking a holy dip during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Sunday.
After returning from Maha Kumbh, millions of pilgrims are still present in Varanasi for Baba Vishwanath's darshan.
The number of devotees continues to rise in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya and Varanasi.
The crowd is in lakhs, with devotees continuously entering Ramlala Darshan Marg for darshan.
The ongoing Maha Kumbh witnessed over 3.75 million pilgrims taking a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam until 8 am on Sunday, February 16, according to officials.
According to officials, no Kalpwasis remain at the venue, while the cumulative number of devotees who have taken the sacred bath till February 15 has surpassed 514.7 million.
The influx of pilgrims continues as the religious gathering progresses. Meanwhile, as per a release, new traffic and bathing guidelines were issued to accommodate the increasing number of devotees attending the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
As per the instructions issued, devotees or people coming to take a dip from the Parade Mela area towards the Sangam would be able to bathe at the Sangam and the other ghats built towards the parade area.
A 'No Vehicle' zone was also implemented in the entire Maha Kumbh area. 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 Maha Kumbh 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 Maha Kumbh, 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)