60 crore devotees have taken holy dip at Maha Kumbh: UP govt

Mahakumbh Nagar, Feb 18 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday said an unprecedented 60 crore devotees at the Maha Kumbh Mela have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam.

The Kumbh Mela which started on January 13 will continue till February 26 on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

Over half of India’s 110 crore Sanatan followers have bathed in the holy confluence, and this number is expected to surpass 65 crore by the final ‘amrit snan’ on February 26, an official statement said.

This Maha Kumbh has seen the largest participation in any religious, cultural, or social event, it said.

According to the World Population Review, Pew Research, India’s population is approximately 143 crore (1.43 billion), with 110 crore (1.10 billion) followers of Sanatan Dharma, the statement said.

This means that over 55 per cent of the Indian population has taken part in the Maha Kumbh, it said.

On a global scale, according to Pew Research 2024, the number of Sanatan followers stands at 1.2 billion (120 crore), meaning that over 50 per cent of the Sanatanis worldwide have immersed themselves in the Sangam, it said.

Diplomats from 73 countries, including Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, along with many international guests have taken a dip at the Sangam, it said.

According to the UP government statement, more than 50 lakh people from Nepal, the maternal home of Maa Janaki (Goddess Sita), have bathed in the Triveni Sangam.

Ahead of the Maha Kumbh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had predicted that this grand event would break records in the number of devotees, forecasting an initial count of 45 crore people.

By February 18, the number had exceeded 55 crore and reached 60 crore on Saturday as the grand event nears conclusion, the statement said.

The upcoming Maha Shivratri Snan is expected to further push this number beyond 650 million (65 crore), it said.

The highest turnout occurred on Mauni Amavasya, with nearly 8 crore devotees participating in the holy dip and on Makar Sankranti, around 3.5 crore devotees took a bath during the Amrit Snan.

Additionally, over 2 crore devotees took a dip on February 1 and January 30, while 1.7 crore participated in Paush Purnima.

On Basant Panchami, 2.57 crore devotees took the dip in the Triveni Sangam, and more than two crore devotees followed suit on Magh Purnima, the statement added.