Devotees Throng Triveni Sangam For Kumbh’s Final ‘Snan’ On Maha Shivratri

Hordes of devotees from across the country thronged the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj in the early hours of Wednesday on the last ‘Snan’ of the Maha Kumbh on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri, marking the culmination of the 45-day mega religious gathering. So far, nearly 65 crore pilgrims have taken a holy dip in the Sangam.

Drone visuals showed a sea of devotees taking a holy dip on the last day of Maha Kumbh. The devotees had begun to gather on the banks of the Sangam from around midnight, while some waited to take the holy dip during the ‘Brahma Muhurt’.

“I cannot express my sentiments in words… We came here with a lot of excitement… We came here because it is the last day of the Maha Kumbh. We are fortunate to have the blessings of Maa Ganga,” a devotee told news agency ANI.

The first amrit snan of ‘Paush Purnima’ started on January 13, which was followed by another snan on Makar Sankranti on January 14, on the occasion of ‘Mauni Amavasya’ on January 29. The third major snan took place on February 3 on Basant Panchami, followed by Maghi Purnima on February 12, and the last snan on February 26, Maha Shivaratri.

The festival of Maha Shivratri marks the divine union of Lord Shiv and Goddess Parvati. Lord Shiva has played a significant role in the Samudra Manthan, which led to the mergence of the Amrit Kumbh, which is the very essence of the Kumbh Mela, held once every 12 years. 

SSP Maha Kumbh, Rajesh Dwivedi said that there has been a huge rush of devotees since midnight as they do not want to miss taking the holy dip on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri.

“Nobody wants to miss out on this opportunity. The people of the city of Prayagraj are also visiting this Snaan in huge numbers. That is why, since midnight, we are seeing a huge inflow of pilgrims. Because of our schemes, there is a very convenient outflow and everyone is glad to be a part of this occasion on Maha Shivratri. They are also visiting the Shiv Mandirs in the Maha Kumbh area in large numbers… As of today, the 65 crore mark has been reached,” he said.