In the early hours of Wednesday, February 26, the big Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 got underway with pilgrims scurrying to the Triveni Sangam for a holy dip, the final special’snan’ on the festival of Maha Shivratri. The world’s largest spiritual gathering, the Mela, which is taking place in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, for six weeks, will come to an end with this.
In its current form, Maha Shivratri is a significant Hindu holiday that honours the glorious marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Nonetheless, in the framework of Maha Kumbh, it has a special significance. The central theme of the Kumbh Mela, Amrit Kumbh (the pitcher of nectar), emerged as a result of Lord Shiva’s pivotal role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), according to Hindu mythology.
Three ‘Amrit Snan’ days were among the six special’snan’ that took place during the January 13-18 Maha Kumbh Mela. The first is on January 13 for Paush Purnima, followed by January 14 for Makar Sankranti, January 29 for Mauni Amavasya, February 3 for Basant Panchami, February 12 for Maghi Purnima, and February 26 for Maha Shivratri.
Devotees were observed hurrying to the Triveni Sangam, which is the meeting point of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, in the early hours of Wednesday in preparation for the Maha Kumbh Mela’s final “snan” on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. The whole Kumbh Mela region has been designated as a “no vehicle zone” in preparation for increased devotee traffic for the final holy bath. Furthermore, DIG (Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna said news agency PTI that on Wednesday, “no VIP treatment” will be given to anyone.
Additionally, the government of Uttar Pradesh published a comprehensive advise for devotees, recommending that they plunge at the nearest ghats. The advisory states that devotees entering the Mela from the Pande area are advised to take a’snan’ at Bharadwaj Ghat, Nagavasuki Ghat, Mori Ghat, Kali Ghat, Ram Ghat, and Hanuman Ghat, while those arriving from the Uttar Jhunsi route should use Arail Ghat and those arriving from Dakshini Jhunsi should use Harishchandra Ghat and Old GT Ghat.