Lucknow: As the Mahakumbh Mela enters its final stretch, there are still millions and millions of devotees who are planning to visit Prayagraj and take the holy dip at Triveni sangam.
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, over 92 lakh people had bathed at the sangam till 6 pm on Friday, with the overall footfall at Mahakumbh crossing 50 crore till date — which is more than the combined population of Russia and the United States!
Considering the overwhelming number of people on the roads or wishing to travel to Mahakumbh, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has urged the Yogi Adityanath-headed state government to extend its duration.
The former UP chief minister said that previously, the Mahakumbh and Kumbh Mela at times lasted for 75 days, whereas the 2025 Mahakumbh is much shorter.
“Even now, many people want to go to Mahakumbh but cannot. In such a situation, the government should extend the time limit of Mahakumbh,” Akhilesh said.
“There are many elderly people — those above 65 or 70 years — who have not been able to take a bath. They wished to participate in religious programmes, but due to various reasons, they couldn’t. At one time, the Kumbh used to last 75 days. During Emperor Harshavardhana’s time, it was even longer, attracting people from all religions and distant places. So, we demand the government extend it,” ANI quoted Akhilesh as saying.
The Mahakumbh, which world’s largest spiritual gathering, began on January 13 and is set to conclude on February 26, coinciding with Maha Shivaratri. According to state government data, over 50 crore people have taken holy dip at the Sangam till Friday evening – which is more than the combined population of Russia and the United States.
The Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest spiritual gathering, happens every 144 years, marking the end of a 12-Kumbhmela cycle.
This year’s Mahakumbh started on January 13 and is scheduled to conclude on February 26, coinciding with Mahashivaratri.
