Maha Kumbh live: Govt offices given holida as crowd swells in Prayagraj for 'Amrit Snan'

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: More than 200 international devotees participated in prayers and bhajan kirtans in Prayagraj on Monday and participated in the Amrit Snan, expressing their appreciation for the spiritual energy and exceptional organization of the event.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: Jagatguru Mahamandaleshwar Santosh Dau Satua Baba Maharaj took a dig at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying, "Those who are talking about Sadhu and Maha Kumbh, I want to tell them that (Samajwadi Party chief) Akhilesh Yadav ji you never followed Sanatan and never respected Sanatan. So, don't take advantage of it now… We have seen when your party was in power, you shot Sanatanis. Don't spread rumours for your own benefit. We are Sanatani and we will uproot people like you."

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: The Prayagraj district magistrate has declared a holiday in the government offices in the district today in order to maintain law and order due to a large influx of devotees for Basant Panchami.

"It is hereby informed that on the occasion of the main bathing festival of Basant Panchami, on February 3, due to the large crowd of devotees and bathers and traffic restrictions, a local holiday has been declared for government offices in Prayagraj district to maintain peace and law and order," the order said.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: DIG Maha Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna said that the arrangements and crowd control of the event had been conducted properly.

He said, "The snan of all Akharas has concluded successfully. Mahanirvani Akhara, Niranjani Akhara, and Juna Akhara have successfully done their snan and other Akharas will also take part in the snan successfully."

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: Mahamandaleshwar Shri Devi Maa, a Sadhvi from South America told ANI on Basant Panchami, "It is a great blessing and honour to be able to receive the blessings of Goddess Ganga in this holy dip. Maha Kumbh Mela is a great opportunity to elevate our consciousness and enter into a new consciousness."

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: Additional Mela officer Vivek Chaturvedi told news agency ANI, "This is the third 'Amrit Snan'. It is also Basant Panchami and all the Akharas are coming to the ghat one by one and take holy dip in Sangam. Security is deployed everywhere and administration is monitoring the situation here continuously."

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: Spiritual leader Swami Kailashanand Giri congratulated CM Yogi Adityanath on the arrangements made for the third Amrit Snan during the Maha Kumbh Mela.

"This was our third ‘Amrit Snan’, I congratulate UP CM Yogi Adityanath as they made very good arrangements for the 13 Akhadas. The people who do not follow 'Sanatan Dharm' should learn a lesson from this 'Shahi Snan' and see that today also Sanatan is with Sadhus and Sadhus are with Sanatan," he said.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: CM Yogi Adityanath has been monitoring the Maha Kumbh Mela since 3:30 am in preparation for the third Amrit Snan taking place at the Triveni Sangam today.

Since 3.30 am, CM Adityanath has been monitoring the situation from the Maha Kumbh war room at his official residence in Lucknow, along with principal secretary (home), DGP and other officials, director of information Shishir said.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: Acharya Laxminarayan Tripathi of the Kinnar Akhara arrived at the Maha Kumbh Mela for the Amrit Snan on occasion of Basant Panchami, amid controversy after the head of the Akhara expelled her for ‘treason’.

"We are all very happy on this auspicious day. The Kinnar Akhara was, is, and will always be united," Tripathi said.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: The Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), late on Sunday night, rescued a youth from drowning in the Yamuna river near the Sangam, reported ANI.

SDRF jawans deployed at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj saw the youth drowning and immediately rescued him, provided first aid and sent him to the hospital.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: During the third Amrit Snan of the Maha Kumbh Mela, Giri Acharya Mahamandleshwar Juna Akhara told news agency PTI, “We are witnessing India's unity here. People from different views, religions are together on the banks of Ganga. There is fear, unrest but there is peace and happiness in India.”

He also spoke on India's leadership in the world saying, "The world is witnessing wars, but India has knowledge. We are ready to lead the world by our spiritual values, by yoga and ayurveda. We world is seeing towards India for solutions. I want to thank honourable Yogi ji that his administration's top-quality management."

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: The Kumbh Command and Control Centre is overseeing all operations for the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela and is ensuring that the safety of devotees is not compromised.

The centre is monitoring 25 sectors, 30 pontoon bridges, and sensitive barricades, with over 3,000 CCTV cameras deployed to cover both the city and the Mela area.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: The Mahanirvani and Atal Akhadas left their camps for the bathing ghats at 4am itself and sadhus of all akhadas who arrive at the bathing ghats in royal processions will complete their bathing by 3.55pm.

Common devotees will directly benefit from this as once the sadhus move out, they will also get the opportunity to again start taking a dip at Sangam ghats.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: The third Amrit Snan coincides with the spring festival of Basant Panchami. It is believed that Maa Saraswati was born on Basant Panchami, and taking a dip in the Ganga on this auspicious day will be spiritually healing.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: According to the schedule released by the Kumbh Mela authorities, the ‘Amrit Snan’ commenced at 4 am with akharas of the Sanyasi Sect.

Leading the sacred procession were Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, Shri Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara, Sri Taponidhi Panchayati Sri Niranjani Akhara, Sri Panchayati Akhara Anand, Shri Panchdashnam Juna Akhara, Shri Panchdashnam Avahan Akhara, and Shri Panchagni Akhara.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: After a stampede at the Kumbh Mela last week left at least 30 people dead and several others injured, the UP government has increased security presence, especially around the Triveni Sangam.

Armed state and central police forces have beem deployed in key areas. "Operation Eleven" has been implemented for crowd management and one-way traffic has been put in place, among other measures.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: UP CM Yogi Adityanath extended his wishes for Basant Panchami as the third Amrit Snan began today.

In a post on X he said, "Heartiest congratulations and best wishes on the auspicious festival of Basant Panchami! May Maa Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, shower her blessings on everyone, infuse new energy and enthusiasm into everyone's life. This is my prayer to Maa Veena Vadini.”

"May Lord Tirtharaj fulfill everyone’s wishes, empower our thoughts and consciousness, and bring welfare to the world. This is my wish," he added.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: The Uttar Pradesh government has been anticipating around five crore pilgrims on Monday for the ‘Amrit Snan’ on the occasion of Basant Panchami.

As of Saturday, the festival, which began on January 13, had attracted 33 crore devotees.

Mahakumbh 2025 Live Updates: The ‘third’ Amrit Snan began in Prayagraj at the crack of dawn today on the occassion of Basant Panchami. Lakhs of devotees arrived to take part in spiritual bathing rituals at the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna.