The last day of the grand Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 began on Wednesday, February 26, with thousands of devotees rushing to Triveni Sangam in the early hours of the morning. They gathered to take a holy dip on the special occasion of Maha Shivratri. With this, the six-week-long Mela, considered the world’s largest spiritual gathering, comes to an end in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

Maha Shivratri is an important Hindu festival that marks the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. In the Maha Kumbh context, it holds special significance because of Lord Shiva’s role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), which led to the emergence of the Amrit Kumbh (the pitcher of nectar). This legend is the key essence of the Kumbh Mela.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, which started on January 13, saw six special bathing (snan) days. These included three 'Amrit Snan' days:

  • Paush Purnima on January 13
  • Makar Sankranti on January 14
  • Mauni Amavasya on January 29
  • Basant Panchami on February 3
  • Maghi Purnima on February 12
  • Maha Shivratri on February 26

Strict security and traffic measures in place

  • Devotees started gathering at Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, from the early morning hours for the last special ‘snan’ of the Maha Kumbh Mela on Maha Shivratri.
  • To manage the high number of visitors, the entire Kumbh Mela area was declared a ‘no vehicle zone’. DIG (Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna informed news agency PTI that “no VIP treatment” was given to any individual on Wednesday.
  • The Uttar Pradesh government also issued an advisory suggesting devotees take a dip at the ghats nearest to them. For example:
    • Those coming from Uttar Jhunsi were asked to go to Harishchandra Ghat and Old GT Ghat.
    • Those from Dakshini Jhunsi were guided to use Arail Ghat.
    • Devotees from the Pande area were advised to bathe at Bharadwaj Ghat, Nagavasuki Ghat, Mori Ghat, Kali Ghat, Ram Ghat, and Hanuman Ghat.
  • Security and management teams were fully prepared for the massive crowds expected. DIG (Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna said that Tuesday saw a crowd of 1.33 crore people, and an even larger number was expected on Maha Shivratri.

  • Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw personally monitored the situation. Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, Satish Kumar, was also overseeing on-ground operations, while general managers from three railway zones coordinated efforts to manage the heavy rush.

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