Over 1 Crore Devotees Take Holy Dip at Sangam on Day 1 of Mahakumbh 2025

Prayagraj, January 14: The grand Mahakumbh Mela 2025 started with great enthusiasm as over 1 crore devotees took a holy dip at the meeting point of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers at Triveni Sangam on its opening day. The first Amrit Snan, a special ritual bath, is being celebrated today for Makar Sankranti, which marks the Sun’s move into the Northern Hemisphere.

Early this morning, seers, Naga Sadhus, and devotees gathered at the ghats for this important ritual. The event will last for 45 days and will take place over a huge area of 10,000 acres, making it the largest religious gathering in the world.

The Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and Shri Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara were among the first to take part in the Amrit Snan, starting at 5:30 am. They had 40 minutes for their holy bath before returning to their camps with strict security in place.

This year’s Mahakumbh is special because some traditional names have been changed, such as ‘Shahi Snan’ to ‘Amrit Snan’ and ‘Peshwai’ to ‘Chhavni Pravesh.’ The first Amrit Snan is especially important because it follows the grand ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.

The Uttar Pradesh government has made extensive preparations, including 150,000 tents, 150,000 toilets, and 15,000 sanitation workers. A strong security system involves over 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel. Additionally, crowd monitoring is being done using 2,750 cameras connected to a 24/7 control center.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Vaibhav Krishna shared that the Sangam area is divided into two sections with designated spaces for Akharas and devotees. Security teams are working to ensure everything runs smoothly, with nine police teams supporting the 13 Akharas throughout the day. 

The event has also included eco-friendly features, like solar street lighting, and digital services, including 10 lost-and-found centers. The Mahakumbh 2025 combines faith, tradition, and modern facilities to create an inspiring celebration of culture.