Mahakumbh: New traffic, bathing rules announced for devotees, here's all you need to know

With the increasing number of devotees at the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, new traffic and bathing guidelines have been issued, as per a release. The authorities have put these rules in place to ensure smooth movement and a safe experience for everyone.

Where can devotees take a dip?

According to the release, "Devotees coming from the Parade Mela area towards the Sangam can take a dip at the Sangam and the ghats near the Parade area. Those coming from the Jhunsi fair area will be able to bathe at the ghats built in Jhunsi. The same applies to devotees coming from the Arali side, who will be able to take a dip at the bathing ghats in Arali."

Traffic restrictions in the Mela area

The release further states, "A 'No Vehicle' zone has been implemented in the entire Mahakumbh Mela area. Only vehicles approved by the Mela Police for devotees will be allowed inside. Other vehicles must be parked at designated parking areas. Emergency vehicles like ambulances and food or logistics vehicles will be permitted."


Authorities have requested, "All devotees should follow the rules and cooperate for a hassle-free experience."

Special Vande Bharat trains for devotees

To make travel easier, Northern Railway has announced special Vande Bharat trains on 15th, 16th, and 17th February. These trains will run between New Delhi and Varanasi, passing through Prayagraj.

Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, said, "To provide special facilities to the people going to the Maha Kumbh on weekends to take a holy dip, Indian Railways is running a special Vande Bharat train. This train will run on 15th, 16th, and 17th February. This Vande Bharat special train will leave from New Delhi station at 5:30 am and will reach Varanasi at 2:20 pm via Prayagraj. After this, the train will leave Varanasi station at 3:15 pm and will reach New Delhi at 11:50 pm."

Mahakumbh sets a new record

According to the Uttar Pradesh administration, "Mahakumbh has become the world’s first event to have more than 500 million direct participants."

The release noted, "This number exceeds the population of several major countries, including the United States, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, making the Mahakumbh the largest spiritual gathering in the world."

The local administration reported, "17 million devotees took a dip on Paush Purnima, followed by 35 million on Makar Sankranti, 76.4 million on Mauni Amavasya, 25.7 million on Basant Panchami, and 14 million on Magh Purnima. As of 4:00 pm on Friday, over 7.9 million devotees had taken a dip at the Triveni Sangam."

Inputs from ANI