The Maha Kumbh Mela began with more than 60 lakh devotees taking the first holy dip on Monday at Sangam in Mahakum🌳bh Nagar which is considered sacred due to the confluence of Ganga, Y♔amuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
A thick blanket of fog and cold breeᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚze was witnessed on early hours of January 13 when the devotees lined up to take a dip in the bone-chilling water of river Ganga on the occasion of 'Paush Purnima'.
Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement announ🅰ced that around 60 lakh pilgrims had taken dip till 9.30 am today.
The state government also said that a large number of devotees from India and abroad were seen at the Sanga𝄹♐m Ghat.
A controversy erupted on Sunday after 🥃a statue of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was installed at a camp in the Maha Kumbh Mela area, with several seers oไbjecting to it.
Row Over Mulayam Statue At Maha Kumbh Mela Camp
The statue of former UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav was inaugurated on Saturday at the camp in Sector 16 set up by the Mulayam Singh Yadav Smriti Seva Sansthan, Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey said on Sunday.
SP leader Pandey said that the statue of "Netaji" was inaugurated by him on Saturday. "He was our leader, and the camp was organised to spജread his thoughts and ideas."
"Pilgrims and other people are welcomed to go to the camp, have food, ܫand stay there. A small statue of Mulayam Singh Yadav has been installed in a symbolic manner," Pandey told reporters.
He said the idol will be restored to the party office aft🧸er the Maha Kumbh.
The move drew criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. ABAP president Mahant Ravindra Puri said Mulayam Sing🅘h's statue has been installed to show seers that he "killed" people from the community.
"We have no objecti✅on to Mulayam Singh's statue. He has been our chief minister. But what message do they (SP people) want to give by installing the statue at this time. Everyone knows what his contribution has been in the Ram temple m✅ovement. He has always been anti-Hindu, anti-Sanatan and in favour of Muslims," Puri said.
Mahamandaleshwar Yati Narsinghanand supported the Puri's statement on th🐼is issue
State Authorities Slash Helicopter Ride Prices; How To Book One?
A helicopter joyride of Maha Kumbh has n🐠ow been slashed by more than half to Rs 1,296 per per🐓son, according to an official statement.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh in statement said the 7–8 minute helicopter ride will begin on January 🦄13.
"Helicopter joyride of Maha Kumbh will now cost Rs 🐻1,296 per person from the earlier fare of Rs✃ 3,000 rate," the statement said.
The ride will give touꦉrists an aerial view of the grand Maha Kumbh area, soaring above Prayagraj city.
The joyride caꦅn be booked online through www.upstdc.co.in an🃏d will be facilitated by Pawan Hans, an undertaking of the Government of India.
PM Modi & CM Yogi Adityanath Extend Greetings
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Maha Kumbh mela as a very sp🦩ecial day for those who cherish Indian values and culture, saying ❀the massive religious event embodies India's timeless spiritual heritage.
"A very special day for crores of people ܫwho cherish Bharatiya values and culture! Maha Kumbh 2025 commences in Prayagraj, bringing together countless people in a sacr🅺ed confluence of faith, devotion and culture. The Maha Kumbh embodies India’s timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony," he said on X.
The prime minister said that he was happy to see Prayagraj abuzz, with countless people coming there, taking the holy dip and see♊king blessings.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday extended his greetings on the c💫ommencement of Maha Kumbh, which he described as a conflue♈nce of cultures and a message of unity in diversity.
"Greetings on Paush Purnima. The world's largest spiritual and cultural gathering 'Mahakumbh' is starting from today in 🐲the holy city o𒉰f Prayagraj," Adityanath posted on X.
"All the revered saints, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come to experience unity in diversity, to meditate and take a holy bath at the conflue💮nce of faith and modernity are heartily welcomed. May Maa Ganga fulfil all your wishes," he said
"Auspicious wishes🌼 for the inauguration and first bath of Maha🐼kumbh Prayagraj.
Sanatan Pride-Maha Kumbh Festival," he added.
In another post, the CM said, "Where there is a confluence of cultures, ꦓthere is also a confluence of faith and harmony.
Maha Kumbh Mela High-Level Security
Inspector General of Police (Eastern Zone), Rajiv Narayan Mishra, said the drone, which functions at a very high speed, can keep an eye on the target even in the dark and do reconnaissance up to a dep꧒th of 100 metres.
Also, PAC, NDRF and SDRF teams will be deployed on 700 flagged boats to ensure the safety of the💙 devotees, along with the placin🌜g of remote life-saving buoys on a large scale, he said.
In compliance with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's instructions to ensure a 'digital' and 'cyber safe' 𒆙Maha Kumbh, Uttar Pradesh Police has formulated a strategy t🐼o protect the devotees from cyber frauds.
"We have prepared a multi-dimensional strategy to fight cybercrime during the Maha Kumbh. Apart from ✤p𒆙olice officers, we have also roped in cyber experts from specialised institutions like IIT-Kanpur. Acting on the complaints received, police have already arrested some cyber frauds," Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar, said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh elaborating on the security and safety aspect he said, "There are more than 55 police stations, and around 45,000 police personnel are getting deployed there on duty. Projects have also been sanctioned🐠 to monitor the social media continuou💎sly, so that nobody does any mischief. If anything untoward is coming up on social media, it should be identified, isolated and tackled... There is excellent coordination between the institutes of the Centre and the state government."
The State Disaster Management Authority is alr🐬eady working and the NDMA is also working. They have trained 'aapdaa mitr' (disaster volunteers), he said.
Commenting on the digital aspect of Maha Kumbh, the UP chief secretary said, "We have Integrated Control and Command Centres established there before the last Kumbh. This time, it has been strengthened, and more than 3,000 cameras have been deployed in the entire Kumbh area. ICCC will be𒁏 managing the crowd by reading the density of the crowd at a particular place.
"Secondly, all the bookings of land and facilities are being done digitalꦚly by the mela administration. On the whole, this 🌌is going to be a grand arrangement," Singh said.
When asked to comment on the visits of foreign nationals and ambassadors to the event, the UP chief secretary said, "(In) the last Kumbh, people from 55-60 countries came, becau♍se immediately a day or two before Kumbh started, there was the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Varanasi, so many people came from there. Besides that, on one day, we organise visits of embassies. That visit is being organised on January 30," he said.
Following the CM's instructions, the police have set up a strong security system with 102 checkpoints on seven important routes. They are checking both vehicles and people 🅰for safety.
DGP Prashant Kumar said around 40,000 police officers and cybercrime experts are using advanced technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), to ജmonitor and guide the large crowd at the event, according to a Reuters report.
More than 1,000 police 💧officers, including 71 inspectors, 234 sub-inspectors, and 645 constables, are stationed at 102 checkpoints along seven routes connecting Prayagraj to nearby areas.
Additional security has been provided with 113 Home﷽ Guards/PRD jဣawans also helping to monitor the event.
