As of February 2, over 349.7 million (34.97 crore) devotees have participated in the sacred bathing ritual since the commencement of the Maha Kumbh Mela on January 13, according to the Uttar Pradesh Information Department.
Prayagraj witnessed a massive influx of devotees on the occasion of Basant Panchami, with thousands taking a holy dip in the sacred Triveni Sangam- the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati.
Earlier, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajesh Dwivedi on Sunday assured that a three-tier system is being implemented to ensure smooth proceedings for the sacred event.
Speaking to ANI, Dwivedi said "There is a three-tier system that is working here... All senior officers are coordinating so that nothing of this sort happens and things go smoothly. We are monitoring the crowd movement closely..."
Minister of State for the Ministry of External Affairs (MoS), Pabitra Margherita, led a 110-member foreign delegation to visit the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. The delegation included Heads of Mission, their spouses, and diplomats from 71 countries.
Pilgrims at the Mahakumbh Mela dismissed social media allegations of mismanagement and defamation attempts, stating that 90 per cent of reports on Facebook and Instagram are fake.
This comes after a stampede-like situation arose at Mahakumbh on January 29, in which at least 30 people were killed and 60 were injured. Till now twenty-five bodies have been identified.
Over 200 foreign devotees took part in the prayers and bhajan kirtans at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Saturday, lauding the spiritual energy and impeccable organisation of the event.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the preparations for Maha Kumbh 2025, and alleged that many devotees are returning back without taking a dip in the Triveni Sangam.