Page 4 - Maha Kumbh Mela

Mahakumbh: 13 FIRs filed against 140 social handles for misleading content

All arrangements should run smoothly...No matter how big the crowd is, we are fully prepared, Mahakumbh Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna said

Akhilesh slams CM for Maha Kumbh arrangements, calls it double-blunder govt

He accused the state government of being interested in marketing and trying to brush up its image even as people faced inconveniences

News Highlights: Former CM Atishi chosen as Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly

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620 mn devotees visited Maha Kumbh, one of century's rarest events: CM Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday that 62 crore devotees have come to the Maha Kumbh so far and the gathering of such a large number of people during a certain period is in itself "one of the rarest events of the century". Welcoming all the guests at the Unicorn Companies Conclave in Agra, Chief Minister Yogi said, "I can call it the Unicorn Maha Kumbh of the startup world. There is an attraction towards the Maha Kumbh at this time." He said, "This is important for me. Today, I have come to Braj Bhoomi, behind which there has been a spiritual and cultural background. It has influenced India's civilisation and culture for a long time.' Chief Minister Adityanath while talking about the devotees coming to the Maha Kumbh this time, said that so far 62 crore devotees have come to the event. 'I think that in any event in the world, whether it is spiritual or for any tourism purpose, the gathering of such a large number of people during a certain period of time i

Railways operates 14,000 trains to facilitate pilgrims for Maha Kumbh Mela

In total, an estimated 12 to 15 crore devotees travelled by train over the course of one and a half months

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

Railways on high alert as devotees flock to Prayagraj for final Amrit Snan

Railways on high alert as thousands of devotees arrive in Prayagraj for the final Amrit Snan on February 26, with strict security, crowd control, and surveillance in place

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

Railways asks X to remove stampede videos in 36 hrs, cites ethical concerns

The notice said that sharing such videos could lead to public unrest and disrupt railway operations, particularly during the current period of heavy train traffic

Akhilesh Yadav to gift Kumbh study to Yogi, says 'lessons to be learned'

Akhilesh Yadav also took a dig at the Uttar Pradesh government over reports of faecal contamination in the waters of Triveni Sangam, and called UP Budget 'second last' of Yogi government

Maha Kumbh 2025: All seven planets to be seen together on February 28

Maha Kumbh 2025 aligns with a rare celestial event as all seven planets-Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-become visible on February 28

'People are raising questions': Akhilesh on Mahakumbh faecal contamination

Yadav took to his X platform to post a news segment on the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) about the water quality

NGT slams UPPCB for submitting old water sample amid Maha Kumbh mela

Toxic waters: The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board had defended the water quality and said that the Ganga and Yamuna rivers met the required standards for bathing, except at one bridge

Faecal coliform bacteria: What is it? How does it affect your health?

A recent Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report claimed that the river Ganga water is contaminated with faecal coliform bacteria; here's what is it and how it can impact your health

FIRs registered over sharing fake Kumbh video from Pakistan, says DIG

FIRs have been registered against social media handles for posting a video from Pakistan claiming it to be of the Kumbh area

Centre plans more airfare oversight as Maha Kumbh Mela costs stoke ire

The review was triggered by an avalanche of complaints from fliers about inflated pricing by airlines during the more than a month-long Maha Kumbh festival, billed as the largest human gathering ever

101 social media accounts face action for misinformation on Maha Kumbh

Legal action has been initiated against 101 social media accounts in 10 cases for allegedly spreading misleading information related to the Maha Kumbh and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Police said on Wednesday. The action followed directives from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to curb fake news and misinformation regarding the mega event. According to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar, a comprehensive cyber patrolling strategy was implemented to monitor and counter the spread of misleading content. Under this initiative, Uttar Pradesh Police and expert agencies have been continuously tracking social media platforms for fake posts, rumours, and cyber offences related to the Maha Kumbh. On Wednesday, it was found that certain accounts falsely linked a video from Pakistan's Karak district to the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj. The video was accompanied by a song titled "Ye Prayagraj Hai", with a claim that "even serving one's parents won't cleanse sins, but h