Page 2 - Kumbh Mela

People with slave mentality mock religious beliefs with foreign backing: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday criticised those opposing the country's religious and cultural traditions and termed the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj as the "Maha Kumbh of Unity". He was addressing people after inaugurating the Bageshwar Dham Medical and Science Research Centre and Cancer Hospital at Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. The Maha Kumbh currently underway at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh is taking place after 144 years due to a rare celestial alignment. Modi said, "These days we see that there is a class of leaders who mock religion, ridicule it, and are engaged in dividing people...and many a times, foreign powers too are seen trying to weaken the country and religion by supporting these people." Praising 'safai karmis' (sanitation workers) and police personnel for their great job in making the Maha Kumbh a successful event, Modi also said that in this "great Kumbh of unity", thousands of doctors and volunteers are engaged voluntarily with dedication and the spirit

600 million devotees have taken holy dip at Maha Kumbh 2025: UP govt

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday said an unprecedented 60 crore devotees at the Maha Kumbh Mela have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam. The Kumbh Mela which started on January 13 will continue till February 26 on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. Over half of India's 110 crore Sanatan followers have bathed in the holy confluence, and this number is expected to surpass 65 crore by the final amrit snan' on February 26, an official statement said. This Maha Kumbh has seen the largest participation in any religious, cultural, or social event, it said. According to the World Population Review, Pew Research, India's population is approximately 143 crore (1.43 billion), with 110 crore (1.10 billion) followers of Sanatan Dharma, the statement said. This means that over 55 per cent of the Indian population has taken part in the Maha Kumbh, it said. On a global scale, according to Pew Research 2024, the number of Sanatan followers stands at 1.2 billion (120 crore), meaning that

AI-based surveillance to boost safety of pilgrims at Maha Kumbh: Officials

A unique application of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based surveillance system at the Maha Kumbh, implemented for the first time by the Yogi Adityanath administration on a mammoth scale, would help avert congregation accidents in the years ahead and avoid repetition of a tragedy like this year, Mela authorities said. At least 30 people were killed and over 90 others were injured in a stampede on January 29 at the ongoing Maha Kumbh congregation at Prayagraj, which has already witnessed a footfall of record 60 crore pilgrims. Some 2,750 close-circuit cameras monitoring the 4000-acre Mela ground, about 250 of which are AI-enabled, feeding information to the Integrated Control and Command Center (ICCC) of the Mela have empowered the authorities with unique and real-time insights into crowd density per metre square at the bathing ghats, people flow into the Mela premises per minute, parking status of vehicles, crowd accumulation at key junctions and the need to issue alerts based on ...

Maha Kumbh also important from economic, environmental viewpoint: Minister

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday described Maha Kumbh as a unique example and said it is not only an event of religious and cultural importance but it is also important from the economic and environmental point of view. The 45-day Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj started on January 13 and will end on February 26, the Mahashivratri day. According to the Uttar Pradesh government, about 59 crore people have so far taken a dip in the sacred waters of the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Speaking at the Kumbh Global Summit organised by India Foundation at Triveni Complex on Friday, Shekhawat said the Maha Kumbh, along with being the world's largest cultural and spiritual gathering, has also become one of the biggest economic events of the country at present. He said according to the Confederation of All India Traders, the Maha Kumbh has generated trade worth 360 billion dollars (about Rs 3 lakh crore). It will increase the country

Mahakumbh will help UP economy grow by over Rs 3 trillion: CM Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Maha Kumbh will help the state's economy grow by over Rs 3 lakh crore. Adityanath, speaking in the Question Hour of the budget session of the assembly, said Uttar Pradesh is making strides towards the target of one trillion dollar economy. "The potential of Uttar Pradesh, which the world is witnessing today, can be linked to the Maha Kumbh Mela. The Maha Kumbh alone is going to help the economy of UP grow by over Rs 3 lakh crore," he said responding to a query by Samajwadi Party MLA Ragini Sonkar. Taking a dig at the SP MLA, he said, "I can understand your pain, because when your leaders say that India can never become a developed country, you have to follow them." "Today India has become the fifth largest economy of the world and in 2027 India will become a five trillion dollar economy. There is no doubt about this. India is moving ahead as the world's fastest growing large economy today and 140 crore Indians should feel proud

Jharkhand man locks ailing mother to visit Maha Kumbh with wife, kids

A Jharkhand man locked his ailing mother at home while traveling to Maha Kumbh with his family. She survived on flattened rice until police rescued her days later

Kumbh's transient city raises lessons in urban planning and resilience

As the temporary metropolis comes to life, it raises profound questions about adaptability, sustainability, and what the cities of tomorrow can learn from one that refuses to stay

'Maha Kumbh water is safe': Yogi Adityanath rejects contamination report

CM Yogi Adityanath also criticised the Opposition for spreading 'misinformation' about the Maha Kumbh water being unfit for bathing

Maha kumbh: Prayagraj Sangam railway station to remain shut till Feb 28

Maha kumbh Updates: In the wake of recent NDLS stampede and surge in Maha kumbh crowd, the Indian Railways on Monday shut the Prayagraj Sangam railway station till Feb 28, railway officials said

Conflicting announcements caused New Delhi Railway stampede, finds inquiry

Congestion led to some passengers being pushed and falling, causing injuries, while others walked over them in the ensuing panic, finds inquiry report on the stampede

Maha Kumbh: Over 13.5 mn devotees take holy dip in Sangam on Feb 17

The spiritual fervour at the Maha Kumbh remains unwavering as more than 1.35 crore devotees took a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Sangam by 8 pm on Monday. According to figures released by the Mela administration, the total number of devotees who have bathed in the Maha Kumbh since January 13 has surpassed 54.31 crore. Alongside common devotees, several political leaders and dignitaries also participated in the sacred ritual on Monday. Among them were Union Minister for Labour and Employment Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel and West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. "So far, 53 crore people have bathed here. This grand event is happening by the grace of the almighty," Mandaviya said Baghel also shared his experience, saying, "I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to take a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh. This is a divine blessing and a significant moment in life." He later participated in the prasad distribution programme organised by

Kumbh devotees count their dead as crowd fails to reduce at NDLS

"If you think this is crowded, yesterday's sights would have horrified you," said a vendor at Platform 16 - first platform upon entry as one makes their way in through Ajmeri Gate complex of station

Maha Kumbh: 20k missing reunite with kin via digital lost-and-found centres

The digital lost-and-found centres set up in the Maha Kumbh Mela here have helped reunite over 20,000 missing people with their loved ones, the Uttar Pradesh government said on Saturday. According to it, the digital lost-and-found centres, equipped with advanced AI-based facial recognition technology, machine learning and multilingual support, reunited 8,725 devotees with their families in and around the major bathing event on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. Similarly, during the Makar Sankranti bathing event 598 devotees were traced and united with their families while during Basant Panchami Amrit Snan, the centres helped reunite 813 pilgrims with their kin, the government said. Apart from these major bathing events, the digital centres have helped over 10,000 people reunite with their families. The government said a large number of those reunited with their families were women. Police also played a key role in this effort, it said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the

Northern Railways to run special Vande Bharat via Prayagraj for Mahakumbh

For the convenience of devotees intending to visit the Maha Kumbh Mela, Railways will run Vande Bharat Special train No. 02252/02251 on February 15, 16 and 17 between New Delhi and Varanasi

Maha Kumbh 2025: Meet Businessman Baba who gave up Rs 3,000 crore empire

Mahakumbh began on Jan 13 and will continue until Feb 26. Meanwhile, the Kumbh has seen many saints making headlines for their unique philosophies. "Businessman Baba" is the recent addition to the lis

Prayagraj issues traffic ban ahead of Maha Kumbh's Maghi Purnima Snan

Prayagraj has enforced strict traffic restrictions ahead of Maghi Purnima at the Maha Kumbh to manage crowds and ensure public safety

Mahakumbh stampede: PIL in HC seeks panel to get missing persons' details

A public interest litigation has been filed before the Allahabad High Court, seeking the constitution of a judicial monitoring committee to collect details of people who went missing during the January 29 stampede at the Maha Kumbh. In the PIL, petitioner Suresh Chandra Pandey of Prayagraj district referred to the reports suggesting that the bodies of the stampede victims were being stored in appalling conditions. They are reportedly left on the floor, wrapped in gunny bags, with no provisions for refrigeration leading to decomposition, it claimed. A day before this PIL was filed in the high court, the Supreme Court on February 3 refused to entertain a PIL seeking action against Uttar Pradesh state officials for the stampede. The Supreme Court had asked the petitioner to approach the Allahabad High Court. In the early hours of January 29, a huge crowd broke through barriers at the Maha Kumbh and trampled over devotees who had been waiting overnight at the ghats to take a holy dip

300-km traffic jam in Maha Kumbh: What is the administration doing?

A staggering 300-km-long traffic jam has left lakhs of pilgrims stranded on their way to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. With major highways choked and devotees stuck for days.

8 Railway stations prepared for Mahakumbh's 'Maghi Purnima Snan': Vaishnaw

Ahead of Maghi Purnima Snan on February 12, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Railways has taken care of all the arrangements at eight railway stations for Prayagraj Mahakumbh.He inspected arrangements at the Prayagraj Railway Station on Monday.Vaishnaw said, "Railways has taken care of all the arrangements at 8 railway stations for Prayagraj Mahakumbh. Along with the state administration, everything is being done in a very coordinated way. Yesterday, 330 trains left Prayagraj Junction and even today trains are running in an orderly manner. If someone tries to spread rumours, we don't want to listen to them. Everything is going on in a systematic manner."Information & Publicity Department of Railway Board, Executive Director, Dilip Kumar said, "We have deployed more than 13,000 railway personnel at the various railway stations in the Sangam Kshetra. Special trains are also being run as per requirement. Yesterday, 12 and half lakh devotees departed in 330 trains. Today ...

President Droupadi Murmu to visit Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Monday

President Droupadi Murmu will visit the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Monday and take a holy dip at the Sangam, her office said. Maha Kumbh, which began on Paush Purnima (January 13), is the world's largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe. It will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26. During her day-long visit to Prayagraj, the President will take holy dip and perform Pooja at Sangam, perform Pooja and Darshan at Akshayvat and Hanuman Mandir, and also visit the Digital Kumbh Anubhav Centre, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement issued on Sunday. Sangam is the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati rivers. According to a Uttar Pradesh government release, Murmu will also offer prayers at the Akshayavat and Bade Hanuman Temple, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accompanying her. The country's first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, had also taken a holy dip during the Maha Kumbh.