Prayagraj saw an immense gathering at the Triveni Sangam ghats early Wednesday morning as millions of devotees gathered to take a holy dip in the river on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya during the Mahakumbh festival. It is estimated that between 80 to 100 million people will visit the ghats throughout the day for the ceremonial bath.
Footage from areas like Kali Marg, Sangam Ghat, and Jhusi show thousands of people patiently waiting behind barricades for their turn to enter the water.
Vijay Kiran Anand, Mela Adhikari for Mahakumbh, released the schedule for the Mauni Amavasya snan after a meeting with the Akharas. The first Akharas will begin departing their camps at 4:00 AM, and the initial group is expected to reach the ghats by 5:00 AM. Each Akhara will perform the ritual for a designated period, with a detailed return schedule set for the day.
Notable Akharas like the Panchayati Akhara, Mahanirvani, and Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara, part of the Sanyasi Akharas, will leave their camps at 4:00 AM and arrive at the ghat by 5:00 AM. Their ceremonial bath will last 40 minutes, and they will depart from the ghat at 5:40 AM, returning to their camps by 6:40 AM.
Similarly, other key Akharas such as the Taponidhi Panchayati, Niranjani Akhara, and Panchayati Akhara Anand will depart from their camps at 4:50 AM, reaching the ghat by 5:50 AM. Their departure from the ghat is scheduled for 6:30 AM, with a return to their camps by 7:30 AM.
Other significant bathing dates during the Mahakumbh include February 3 (Basant Panchami – Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri).
