Maha Kumbh ends on note of devotion

The Maha Kumbh, billed to be the world's largest gathering, ends on Wednesday as it began 45 days ago - with lakhs of devotees surging towards the waters of the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, for a dip on the auspicious day of Shivratri.

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The mega religious carnival wound to a close in a montage of images of the stampede that killed at least 30 people, the devout across every spectrum taking a dip in the belief it would cleanse their sins, huge crowds jostling not just at the Sangam but also stations and bus stands in north India and many a political slugfest over contested numbers and how clean the waters were.

According to the Uttar Pradesh government, 1.44 crore people took a holy dip till 6 pm on Wednesday. It said 66.21 crore people have visited Prayagraj since January 13, a number that exceeds the populations of all countries except China and India.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top ministers and film stars were among those who went to the Kumbh.

"From January 13, when the Maha Kumbh began on Paush Purnima, till today on the occasion of Mahashivratri... in 45 days, more than 66 crore 21 lakh devotees have taken a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam. This is unprecedented in world history and truly unforgettable," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a post in Hindi on X.

It was a gathering of the faithful and believers but also of those driven by interest in the fabled Kumbh, where religion meets culture, where spirituality and tradition fuse, and where Al and modern-day technology this time blended with ancient stories of gods and miracles. The stars were aligned too with seers claiming that celestial permutations and combinations during the event took place after 144 years.

It was a massive logistical exercise.