Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 13 : Spiritual leader Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati encouraged everyone in the world to visit Maha Kumbh 2025, which started today in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, telling them that bringing one's faith and devotion is enough to bring to the grand event.
The Sadhvi reached Kumbh today, and told ANI that taking a holy dip in the Sangam ghat is a spiritual experience of taking a dip within one's 'inner self.'
"When we will take the first dip, we won't just take a dip in the Sangam, we will also take a dip within inner selves and I am also giving an invitation to everyone in the world and telling everyone to come to the Maha Kumbh. People get scared with the crowd," she told ANI.
She added, "But I tell them, come with your faith, your devotion, it is such a beautiful day."
Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati is a spiritual leader who is previously from Los Angeles, USA and now currently resides in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
She also showed her happiness over experiencing 'bharatiya sanskriti.'
"Aur yehi Bharatiya sanskriti ki Shakti hai (This is truly the strength of Indian tradition), it is their greatness. Just imagine how many people have congregated here. There is no rock concert or a sporting event, as people gather everywhere else," she told ANI.
Praising the preparations for Maha Kumbh, she thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for giving the visitors a lot of facilities and basically erecting a spiritual village for Kumbh.
"When I also saw all the facilities given by the government, by the orders of our Prime Minister and also our Chief Minister Yogi; through the power of their devotion the kind of facilities which are being given here are great. In one place, there is a dry riverbed, where there should have been water, they erected a spiritual city. This is truly the confluence of faith and hospitality," the sadhvi said.
According to a UP CM Yogi Adityanath around 15 million people took a dip in the holy Sangam, the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna.
"On the first bathing festival today, 1.50 crore Sanatan believers earned the holy benefit of bathing in the uninterrupted and clean Triveni. Heartfelt thanks to all the departments of the Central and State Governments associated with Mahakumbh, including the Mahakumbh Mela Administration, Prayagraj Administration,UP Police, Municipal Corporation Prayagraj, Swachhagrahis, Ganga Sevadoots, Kumbh Sahayaks, religious-social organizations, various voluntary organizations and friends from the media world, who participated in making the first bathing festival successful," the CM posted on X.
Key bathing dates include January 14 (Makar Sankranti - First Shahi Snan), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya - Second Shahi Snan), February 3 (Basant Panchami - Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri).
The Maha Kumbh is being celebrated after 12 years, and over 45 crore devotees are expected to reach the place. The event will conclude on February 26.