Maha Kumbh 2025: New guidelines issued for devotees in Prayagraj
What's the story
Due to a sudden increase in the number of attendees, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued new guidelines for the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
The guidelines outline bathing areas according to pilgrims' regions. Devotees from the Parade Mela region are given Sangam and surrounding ghats, while the Jhunsi fair region will use Jhunsi ghats.
Pilgrims from the Arali side have been given separate ghats in their area.
Travel arrangements
Transportation rules and special train services for Maha Kumbh
To handle the massive footfall, a "No Vehicle" zone has been created throughout the Maha Kumbh area. Only Mela Police-approved vehicles are allowed, barring emergency services, food delivery trucks, and logistics vehicles.
Apart from this, Northern Railways is running special Vande Bharat trains on February 15-17 to facilitate pilgrims. The trains will run between New Delhi and Varanasi via Prayagraj.
Record participation
Maha Kumbh Mela: World's largest religious event
The Uttar Pradesh government claims Maha Kumbh is now the first event in the world to have over 500 million direct participants. It makes it the biggest religious event in the world, bigger than the populations of many major countries.
Huge crowds were witnessed on different auspicious days: Paush Purnima- 17 million devotees; Makar Sankranti- 35 million; Mauni Amavasya- 76.4 million; Basant Panchami- 25.7 million; Magh Purnima- 14 million participants.