Mahakumbh 2025 Begins Today:  The much-anticipated Mahakumbh commenced on Monday, coinciding with the auspicious Brahma Muhurat. The Poush Purnima bathing festival marks the beginning of this sacred event. Devotees, brimming with eagerness, began their ritualistic bathing at the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati at various ghats, starting from midnight.

On Tuesday, an extraordinary conjunction will be held with the Amrit Snan festival on Makar Sankranti. The combination of both bathing festivals has added to the enthusiasm of the devotees. Despite the cold and drizzle, pilgrims continued to arrive in large numbers. The camps of saints are active, and the area is filled with the sound of discourses and Vedic chants. The security arrangements at the fair are strict.

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On Poush Purnima and Makar Sankranti, flower petals will be showered from helicopters on the saints and devotees bathing at the 44 ghats spread across 12 kilometres of the fair area.

From Sunday morning, a stream of vehicles and pedestrians was visible on the roads of Prayagraj. Although rain in the afternoon caused people to seek shelter temporarily, they were back on the roads once the downpour stopped, leading to traffic jams all around. 

Due to the pressure of the crowd, traffic was restricted on some bridges within the Mahakumbh area. The traffic management plan was temporarily revised and rehearsal for the preparations in the 4,000-hectare extended area of the Mahakumbh was also completed.

The state government expects nearly 40 crore devotees and tourists from across the country and abroad to attend the Mahakumbh. It is believed that the average expenditure per person may increase up to 10,000 rupees and the total business could reach up to four trillion rupees.

Massive Infrastructure & Security Preparations for the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela

- Rs 7,000 crore allocated for development within the Maha Kumbh Mela area

- Rs 26,000 crore invested in roads, bridges, electricity and water supply across the district and city

- An estimated 40 crore devotees are expected to attend the 2025 Maha Kumbh

- The Maha Kumbh Mela covers an area of approximately 4,000 hectares

- The entire Mela area is divided into 25 sectors, with 30 pontoon bridges constructed

- A fleet of 8,000 buses and 3,000 special trains will be operational this time

- 100,000 personnel from police, PAC and paramilitary forces will be deployed for security

- 20 temporary police stations, 68 police posts and 82 fire stations have been set up

- 112 parking lots with a capacity for 7 lakh vehicles have been prepared

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- The Mela will be monitored by 2,750 CCTV cameras, supported by two command centres

- 1,600 km of electricity lines laid, with 120 temporary power substations in place