Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 23 : As the crowd continues to gather at the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, District Magistrate (DM) Ravindra Kumar Mandar said that the administration was making constant efforts to manage crowd and traffic ahead of Maha Shivratri, which will be celebrated on February 26.
The DM said that several teams were deployed at all times to assist the people visiting the Mahakumbh.
"More than 60 crore devotees have taken the holy dip till now. PM Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath are motivating all administrative officials here. The teams are deployed 24*7 for the convenience of the people. We are making efforts to make proper arrangements for the upcoming Mahashivratri event," DM Mandar told ANI.
The DM said holding areas have been established for devotees visiting Prayagraj via trains and flights. Moreover, food was being arranged for travellers with the help of certain organisations.
"We are constantly trying to manage the traffic. We are rectifying all the challenges which are coming our way. We have also arranged a holding area for those travelling via air. Holding areas are also present in railway stations. We are also arranging food for those visiting here, through organisations like ISCON," the DM said.
Senior DCM (Prayagraj division) Himanshu Shukla said that smooth arrangements have been made for devotees who visit Ayodhya and Varanasi after taking a holy dip in the Mahakumbh. He added that 1,450 CCTV cameras from Triveni Sangam to Prayagraj Junction have been installed.
"The Mahashivratri Snan is our last test for which we are fully prepared... A huge crowd from here (Prayagraj) goes to other pilgrimage places like Ayodhya and Varanasi for darshan and we have made a smooth arrangement for them... We have installed 1,450 CCTV cameras from Triveni Sangam to Prayagraj Junction... Yesterday, on February 22, about 1 crore 60 lakh people took holy dip. We operated over 100 special trains yesterday as well... We have made preparations on a large scale... NDRF teams are also present here for disaster management. I am confident that we will be successful in completing this (last Snan) properly," DCM Shukla told ANI.
On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the Mahakumbh Mela Mahotsav 2025 in Prayagraj. He stated that Mahakumbh has become a medium to show gratitude towards one's heritage, culture and religion.
Adityanath said that 620 million devotees have visited the Mahakumbh Mela. CM Yogi highlighted that such a gathering of people during a specific time period is a "rare" event.
Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra visited the ongoing 2025 Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj and took a holy dip in the Sangam (the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati). He lauded the Uttar Pradesh administration for the arrangements made for the grand festival.
Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words, Patra said that the Mahakumbh was a "Kumbh of Unity."
"Today, I have the privilege of coming to Prayagraj from Puri, the city of Lord Jagannath. The kind of arrangements that have been made here are unprecedented in themselves. Only those who see it will understand that 60 crore people have come here, 60 crore people have taken a dip here. They have shown their faith by coming here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this is the Kumbh of unity. Through this Kumbh, the message of unity goes to the whole country," Patra told ANI.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also visited Prayagraj and praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the administration's arrangements.
The last major bath of Maha Shivratri is scheduled for February 26, in the ongoing Mahakumbh.