Prayagraj: Over 48.76 lakh devotees visit Mahakumbh on Friday till 8 pm

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 24 (ANI): Over 48.76 lakh devotees visited the Mahakumbh till 8 pm on Friday, the state government said in a release.
Over 10 lakh Kalpwasis are present at the Sangam and total number of devotees who took holy dip at the Sangam on Friday stood at 58.76 lakhs.
Over 10.21 crore devotees have taken snan at the holy Sangam till Thursday. On Friday till 8 pm that number rose to 10.80 crore.
A sea of devotes was seen taking a holy dip in drone visuals from Triveni Sangam in the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj on Friday.
More than a total of 102 milllion people have taken a dip in Mahakumbh since its commencement.
The mega spiritual event has witnessed an unprecedented turnout of devotees, and on Thursday the number crossed 10 crore milestones.
The state govt estimates that this Maha Kumbh will host over 45 crore visitors and the early achievement of 10 crore bathers reaffirms these projections.
Apart from this, the morning Aarti, a hallmark of devotional celebration along the Ganga ghats, was also performed by priests holding huge lighted oil lamps, while the river Ganga was worshipped by offering flowers and diyas.
Visitors from around the world are often left in awe as they witness people from different languages, lifestyles, and traditions coming together at the Sangam for a holy dip.
Several devotees from Russia and Ukraine -- two countries embroiled in deadly conflict for close to three years -- attended the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj on Thursday and presented a message of spiritual unity. The atmosphere in Prayagraj turned sublime, as devotees in the cold winter evening gathered to perform kirtan, and sang 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'.
Speaking to ANI, a devotee from Russia shared a message of unity and peace and stated that monks of different nationalities were present at the gathering.
"I came here from Russia, and my Guru Maa came from Ukraine. Many of my Guru sisters and brothers have come from countries like Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Europe, and the USA. We all came here for the Maha Kumbh to take a bath in the Ganga on this auspicious day. As we know, all deities and divine energies come to bathe in the Ganga waters, so we follow their example," the devotee said.
"This is a great gathering of people in the world. It's the biggest festival ever and we all come in here as Sadhu...whether it's female or male Russian-Ukrainian or Indian we all are here...we all follow Sanatana Dharma," she added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took the holy dip in Triveni Sangam during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, along with several ministers of his cabinet. (ANI)