Union Minister Nitin Gadkari praises arrangements at Prayagraj's Mahakumbh - World News Network

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 16 (ANI): Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari after reaching Prayagraj airport on Sunday praised the arrangements at Mahakumbh.
Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “The state government has made such good arrangements for such a large-scale event. The administration and police have worked really hard, and this is an unprecedented event. Thousands of devotees are even travelling by road. We pray for the well-being of all.”
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The ongoing Mahakumbh has witnessed over 3.75 million pilgrims taking holy dip in the Sangam until 8 am on February 16, officials said.
According to officials, no Kalpwasi remains at the venue, while the cumulative number of devotees who have taken the sacred bath till February 15 has surpassed 514.7 million.
The influx of pilgrims continues as the religious gathering progresses. Meanwhile, new traffic and bathing guidelines were issued to accommodate the increasing number of devotees attending the Mahakumbh Mela.
As per the instructions issued, devotees or people coming to take a dip from the Parade Mela area towards the Sangam would be able to bathe at Sangam and the other ghats built towards the parade area.
A ‘No Vehicle’ zone was also implemented in the entire Mahakumbh area. With the number of over 501 million, the ongoing Mahakumbh has set a record.
This number exceeds the population of several major countries, including the United States, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, making the Mahakumbh the largest spiritual gathering in the world.
According to the Uttar Pradesh administration, the Mahakumbh has become the first event in the world to have more than 500 million direct participants.
The local administration reported that 17 million devotees took a dip on Paush Purnima, followed by 35 million on Makar Sankranti, 76.4 million on Mauni Amavasya, 25.7 million on Basant Panchami, and 14 million on Magh Purnima.
As of 4:00 PM on Friday, over 7.9 million devotees took dip in Triveni Sangam. The Mahakumbh, which began on Paush Purnima (January 13, 2025), is the world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe. The grand event will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26. (ANI)

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