On Wednesday, a stampede occurred at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, as a large number of individuals gathered to take a holy dip in the Ganga in celebration of Mauni Amavasya. It is believed that several individuals lost their lives. On one of the most sacred days of the event, Mauni Amavasya, thousands of individuals had assembled at the location. A large number of ambulances were dispatched to the ghat, and the injured individuals were transported to the central hospital located within the Mela grounds for treatment. On the condition of anonymity, individuals with knowledge of the developments informed HT that at least 15 corpses have been transported to the hospital.
In the early hours of Wednesday, a stampede-like situation occurred at Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, as millions of pilgrims gathered for a holy bath on Mauni Amavasya. It was anticipated that multiple casualties would result.
The Mela administration was compelled to remove individuals as the pressure of the masses increased as a result of the Mauni Amavasya ‘Amrit Snan’.
Additionally, the public address system was broadcasting announcements, which requested that devotees vacate the ghats to make room for others after they had completed their sacred bath.
In the midst of the stampede pandemonium, numerous individuals returned without bathing on this auspicious day.
Despite the fact that devotees continued to bathe in large numbers at Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area, the Akharas canceled their traditional ‘Amrit Snan’ for Mauni Amavasya in light of the incident.
PM Modi oversees the situation.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to discuss the situation at the Maha Kumbh and requested immediate support.
According to official sources, Modi has conversed with Adityanath twice and is currently monitoring the situation.
“PM Modi spoke to Yogi Ji about the situation at the Kumbh Mela, reviewed the developments, and called for immediate support measures,” according to a representative.
Although the Uttar Pradesh government had already enhanced the security and crowd-management systems in the region in anticipation of the Mahakumbh on Mauni Amavasya, which is expected to attract approximately 10 crore devotees.
The government issued an advisory urging all devotees to consider the ghats as equal to the Sangam and to refrain from spreading any misinformation. From helicopters, the administration will distribute 25 quintals of rose petals to devotees.
The Mahakumbh Mela 2025 has already witnessed more than 15 crore pilgrims taking a sacred dip in the Sangam and ghats over the course of the past 17 days. According to the Uttar Pradesh government, the number of devotees who participated in the snan exceeded 4.8 crore on Tuesday, surpassing the 3.5 crore total for the Amrit Snan on Makar Sankranti.
Personnel have been stationed at every crevice and cranny of the Mela grounds, in addition to AI-powered CCTV cameras and drones, as part of the enhanced security measures.
Furthermore, the Prayagraj authorities have already designated the Mela area as a no-vehicle zone for the upcoming days. They have also issued a strong appeal to local residents to refrain from using any four-wheelers and to use two-wheelers exclusively when transporting senior citizens to the Sangam.
The Amrit Snan, which was previously known as Shahi Snan, is the most sacred and grandiose ritual of the Mahakumbh Mela, which attracts millions of pilgrims from around the globe.
There is a belief that the water of the holy rivers transforms into ‘Amrit’ on Mauni Amavasya, which is considered the most auspicious date among all the special bathing occasions.
Jagatguru Sai Maa Lakshmi Devi stated to PTI, “Mauni Amawasya is not only important for us saints but for all Hindus and those who will observe silence on this date for the betterment of their soul and spiritual growth.”
The UP government also deployed over 1,000 medical professionals to the Mahakumbh area for the second ‘Amrit Snan’, and established modern medical facilities and provisions for minor to major operations. In addition, 300 specialist physicians have been assigned to a super-specialty hospital in Mahakumbh Nagar to address any emergency situations.
The Mahakumbh Mela 2025, which was conducted after a 12-year hiatus, commenced on January 13 and will conclude on February 26, Maha Shivaratri.
(with inputs from PTI)
