Mahakumbh 2025 Live: Prohibitory orders in effect in Prayagraj till February 28

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday hailed the Uttar Pradesh government’s preparedness and safety measures for the Mahakumbh Mela.

"The Maha Kumbh is being organised with all preparedness and safety under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It should be a case study on the arrangements by the government in one of the largest gatherings of humans. We saw how in the past the Kumbh was organised...if we talk about the Kumbh before this, the way the stampede happened in 2013 and the then government treated it with insensitivity. After independence, when the first Kumbh was organized, looking at the arrangements of the Kumbh, the then government was indifferent towards the arrangements of the Kumbh," the Union Minister was quoted as saying by ANI.

The spiritual head of the Rishikesh-based Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, along with Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati offered prayers and performed ‘Havan’ at the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Prayagraj will witness "very dense fog" till 11:30 am on Saturday.

The current temperature in the city which is hosting the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela is 11.5 degree Celsius.

As per the weather department's forecast, the minimum temperature in Prayagraj is likely to settle at 8 degree Celsius, while the maximum might be at 23 degree Celsius.

Devotees gathered at the Triveni Ghat early on Saturday to witness the morning 'Aarti'.

Amid the persistent cold wave conditions, Prayagraj on Saturday was engulfed in thick layers of dense fog as devotees flocked to Triveni Sangam to take a holy dip at the Mahakumbh Mela.

Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has instructed authorities to provide free accommodation, food, and medical facilities to state residents at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

"Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said that Kumbh has special significance in Indian culture. Kumbh is said to provide all the siddhis. Maha Kumbh Mela, being organized after a gap of 12 years, will continue till 26 February in Prayagraj," as per an official release.

Guru and spiritual leader Swami Kailashanand Giri on Friday said that Laurene Powell, wife of late Steve Jobs, who has been at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj in the last few days, wants to join Sanatan Dharma now and learn the traditions.

"We initiated her on 14th January, on Makar Sankranti, at 10:10 pm. One year ago, on 18th February, she was given the name Kamala and assigned a 'Gotra'... She had reached the pinnacle of materialism. Now she wants to join Sanatan Dharma and wants to learn her tradition by joining her Guru. She is composed, simple, and is not arrogant. She stayed in the 'Shivir' for 4 days like a common devotee... About 50 personal servants and staff came with her in two big planes... She is a pure vegetarian; she does not eat garlic or onion..." Swami Kailashanand Giri was quoted as saying by ANI.

Early Saturday witnessed large number of devotees arriving at the Triveni Sangam to take a holy dip there amid the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela.

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev made a courtesy call on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and met him at his official residence in Lucknow on Friday.

He also appreciated the UP government's quality and scale of arrangements at the Mahakumbh Mela, saying that "a massive event like this is so well organized and meticulously conducted truly deserves appreciation".

Sadhguru also met saints at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Thursday.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath wrote to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National police academy, asking it to send police officers to the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj "to study crowd management and other varied aspects" of their duties.

"The one thing that has stood out this time is police behaviour. We deployed young police officers for Maha Kumbh duty after training them. We have also written to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy to send young officers here to study crowd management and other varied aspects associated with a mega arrangement of this kind," Adityanath told reporters.

"Where else would they (young officers) get an opportunity of this nature to study so much, learn so much directly on the spot?" he asked.

The CM said that most leading global institutions are currently conducting research studies on the various aspects of the Mahakumbh.

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday spoke about the massive footfall at the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela and said, "There is something special about our land. Perhaps there is no such place in the world where crores of people reach without being invited... This is a place of faith and I believe that ever since man has settled on the earth and the Ganges has started flowing in our country, bathing in it is considered the most sacred and holy," news agency ANI quoted him.

Ayodhya Commissioner Gaurav Dayal on Friday said that special arrangements are being made to manage the large number of devotees visiting the Ram temple after the Mahakumbh celebrations.

Dayal noted that the influx was only expected to increase, with massive crowds expected after the 'Amrit Snan' on Mauni Amavasya on January 29.

Singer Shankar Mahadevan enthralled devotees to his soulful renditions in Prayagraj on Thursday. The music performance was part of the 'Sanskriti ka Sangam' program organized by the Department of Culture at Mahakumbh.

In the coming days, singers Kailash Kher, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Hariharan, and others are all scheduled to perform at the festival, a news agency ANI report said.

Owing to the several festivities, competitive exams that are going to take place in the coming days and the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela in addition, UP has decided to impose prohibitory orders on Prayagraj till February 28.

Additional Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj announced that prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, will be in place in the city.

"In view of the communal sensitivity of the district, on the basis of information received from reliable sources, I am convinced that there is a possibility of anti-social elements causing disruption in law and order of the district. In view of the said festivals, there is an urgent need to maintain peace," the ACP's statement read.

As more than seven crore devotees have already taken a dip at the Triveni Sangam within 6 days of the Mahakumbh Mela, the UP government has estimated that more than 45 crore will attend the event this year.

With such a massive influx of devotees, the security of the crowd is a major challenge for the Maha Kumbh Police, an official statement said.

However, the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), set up in the fair area, is proving to be a boon in managing the crowd. It not only helps control the huge influx of devotees, but also plays a key role in various types of surveillance, the statement added.