94.07 Lakh Take Holy Dip on Friday; Maha Shivratri Snan to Mark Grand Finale on Feb 26
Prayagraj: The total number of devotees who have taken a holy dip at the Sangam since the beginning of the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj on January 13 has crossed 40.68 crore (406.8 million) as of Friday (8 PM), according to government figures. On Friday alone, 94.07 lakh devotees participated in the sacred ritual.
Soaring Numbers, Record Turnouts
By Thursday night (8 PM), the pilgrim count had reached 39.74 crore (397.4 million), with 67.20 lakh devotees taking a dip that day. On Friday morning (10 AM), an additional 42.07 lakh pilgrims bathed, increasing to 47 lakh by noon, and further 78.78 lakh by 4 PM, before reaching 94.07 lakh by evening.
With 19 days remaining before the Mahakumbh concludes on February 26 (Maha Shivratri Snan), officials anticipate that the total count could surpass 50 crore (500 million).
Historic Amrit Snans
The Mahakumbh has already witnessed three major Amrit Snans:
- Makar Sankranti (January 14): 3.5 crore pilgrims
- Mauni Amavasya (January 29): 8 crore pilgrims (highest turnout)
- Basant Panchami (February 3): 2.57 crore pilgrims
Other significant bathing days included Paush Purnima (1.7 crore), January 30 (2 crore), and February 1 (2 crore).
VVIPs and Celebrities at the Mahakumbh
Several political leaders, celebrities, and spiritual figures have participated in the grand event.
Prominent Political Figures:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
- Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath
- UP Governor Anandiben Patel
- Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma
- Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini
- Manipur CM N. Biren Singh
- Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel
- Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Shripad Naik
- Opposition Leaders: SP President Akhilesh Yadav, UP Assembly LoP Mata Prasad Pandey
Celebrity Attendees:
- Hema Malini (Actor, Mathura MP)
- Anupam Kher, Bhagyashree, Milind Soman (Bollywood)
- Olympic Medalist Saina Nehwal
- Cricketer Suresh Raina
- Wrestler The Great Khali
- Choreographer Remo D’Souza
- Poet Kumar Vishwas
- Actors Mamta Kulkarni, Isha Gupta
President Droupadi Murmu’s Scheduled Visit
President Droupadi Murmu is set to visit Prayagraj on February 10 to participate in the sacred ritual at the Triveni Sangam.
With lakhs of devotees continuing to arrive each day, the Mahakumbh 2024 remains an unprecedented spiritual gathering in history.
