Prayagraj Magh Mela 2026 to attract 15 crore devotees: Check dates, duration, ritual snans, special trains run by Railways and more details

The Magh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj is set to commence from January 3, 2026 on the auspicious occasion of Paush Purnima. Large number of devotees will be seen on the banks of the Ganges tomorrow to witness the equality and harmony at Magh Mela in Prayagraj. The Magh Mela of Prayagraj takes place at the divine Triveni Sangam, the place of confluence of scared rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati and is regarded one of the largest pilgrimages of India, according to Indianculture.gov.in. The pilgrimage is named after the Hindu month of Magh, which typically falls in January-February. During this period, major Magh Mela bathing days include Makar Sankranti on Jan 15, Mauni Amavasya on Jan 18, and Basant Panchami on Jan 23.

What is the duration of Magh Mela?

The Prayag Magh Mela is a 45-day long pilgrimage which begins at the Paush Purnima (the full moon day of the month of Paush) and ends at Mahashivaratri, spanning over the entire month of Magh. The mela commences on the full moon day of Paush with the snan (ritual dip).

How many ritual snas in Magh Mela?

Over the course of the fair, there are a total of six ritual snans, viz on Paush Purnima, Makar Sankranti (beginning of Magh), Shattila Ekadashi (day of the waning of moon- Krishna Paksha-in the month of Magh), Mauni Amavasya (the no moon day of Magh when people take vow of silence), Basant Panchami (also called Magha Shukla Panchami, the fifth day of the waxing phase of moon in Magh), Achala Saptami (seventh day of waxing phase of moon in Magh, celebrated as the birthday of Lord Surya), Jaya Ekadashi (the day of fasting observed on the eleventh day of the waxing phase of moon in Magh) and Magh Purnima (the full moon day in Magh).

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Magh Mela rituals explained

Individuals who observe kalpvas, a period of prayer and charitable acts spent by the bank of the river in temporary shelters must do ritual snans. Priot to the initial ritual bath, those observing kalpvas shave their heads and each day during the kalpvas, holy men and sadhus conduct various yajnas or havans, in and around the Sangam. People contribute food and ritual items as donations. Within the kalpvas, three primary donations are considered particularly auspicious: bhojdan (donation of food), atradan (donation of grains), and tiladan (donation of sesame). The annual Magh Mela transforms into the Khumb Mela every fourth year at Prayag, and into the Maha Khumbh Mela every twelfth year, drawing millions of devout pilgrims to the grand event.

Special trains for Magh Mela

Every year, the Railways announces special trains for pilgrims for Magh Mela. These special trains provide travel convenience to pilgrims visiting the Magh Mela, assisting them in fulfilling their religious duties. The North Eastern Railway (NER) administration has made special preparations to facilitate devotees attending the Magh Mela 2026 in Prayagraj. During the fair period, six pairs of special trains will be operated via the Varanasi route, according to a report in Daily Jagran.

Chhapra–Jhusi Unreserved Special (05117/18): The train will depart Chhapra Junction at 7:50 pm on January 30 and 31, and February 1, 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16. En route, it will halt at Varanasi City, Varanasi Junction and Banaras stations, reaching Jhusi the following day.

Barhni–Jhusi Unreserved Special (05121/22): This service will also operate on January 30 and 31, and February 1, 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16. The train will stop at Sarnath, Varanasi City, Varanasi Junction and Banaras stations.

Azamgarh–Jhusi Unreserved Special (05119/20): The train will run on the same dates—January 30 and 31, and February 1, 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

Gorakhpur–Prayagraj Rambagh Special (05123/24): Departing from Gorakhpur at 8:30 pm, the train will operate on January 30 and 31, and February 1, 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16. It will halt at Sarnath, Varanasi City, Varanasi Junction and Banaras stations.

Chhapra–Prayagraj Rambagh Special (05113/14): This train will run from Chhapra Junction to Prayagraj on January 30 and 31, and February 1, 2, 14, 15 and 16.

Chhapra–Jhusi Unreserved Special (05115/16): This service will also operate on January 30 and 31, and February 1, 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

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These trains will run on key ates such as 3–4 Jan, 15–16 Jan, 18–19 Jan, 23–24 Jan, 1–2 Feb, and 15–16 Feb 2026:

00101 & 00102 – Prayagraj Junction → Kanpur Central

Two unreserved specials from Prayagraj Jn to Kanpur Central

00201 & 00202 – Prayagraj Junction → Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction

Departures around midday and evening from Prayagraj Jn

00401 – Prayagraj Chheoki → Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction

Goes to Pt. DD Upadhyay Junction.

00301 – Prayagraj Junction → Satna

Evening departure from Prayagraj Jn and reaches Satna the next day.

00501 – Prayagraj Chheoki → Satna

Evening departure from Prayagraj Chheoki

00601 – Naini → Chitrakoot Dham

Evening departure from Naini station and heads to Chitrakoot Dham.

15 crore devotees expected at Magh Mela: Traffic diversions

According to a report in Times of India, at least 15 crore devotees and pilgrims are expected to attend the mela on the banks of the Ganga, the mela administration on Tuesday claimed to have made elaborate arrangements. Focus was laid on crowd and traffic management with the objective that none of the devotees should face inconvenience. The report mentions that dedicated parking zones have been earmarked for vehicles coming in from other districts and states.

According to the traffic diversion plan, vehicles travelling from Kanpur towards Prayagraj will be diverted at Kokhraj in Kaushambi district onto the bypass and allowed to proceed directly to Varanasi via Handia. Traffic coming in from the opposite direction, from Varanasi to Kanpur, will be routed through the Handia bypass to Kokhraj before continuing towards Kanpur, according to a TOI report.

Vehicles travelling from Kanpur to Banda via Prayagraj will be diverted at Chaudagra in Fatehpur and directed through Bindki, Bandhwa Tiraha, Lalouli and Chilla towards Banda, with return traffic following the same route. Similarly, traffic from Kanpur to Mirzapur will take the Chaudagra–Bindki–Bandhwa Tiraha–Lalouli–Chilla route to Banda, and then continue via Keen-Mau, Shankargarh, Naribari, Khiri and Koraon to Mirzapur.

Vehicles heading from Kanpur to Rewa will be diverted through Ghatampur, Hamirpur Road, Banda, Karvi, Shankargarh and Naribari. Heavy vehicles travelling from Kanpur to Aurai and Mirzapur will be routed via the Kokhraj bypass and Handia, turning right at Chilh towards Mirzapur.

Traffic moving from Rewa to Varanasi via Prayagraj will instead be diverted from the Mangawan police station area through Hanumana and Mirzapur. Vehicles travelling from Rewa to Lucknow will be routed via Naribari, Shankargarh, Mau, Karvi, Banda, Chilla Bridge, Bindki, Fatehpur, Lalganj and Rae Bareli before proceeding to Lucknow.

Heavy vehicles travelling from Rae Bareli to Varanasi via Prayagraj will be diverted through Lalganj, Bhupiyamau Chauraha, Raniganj, Mungra Badshahpur and Jaunpur. Under the inter-district diversion plan, all vehicles except those connected with the Magh Mela will be diverted before entering Prayagraj. Vehicles heading towards Varanasi without entering Prayagraj will use the Kaushambi–Kokhraj–Nawabganj–Soraon–Handia–Aurai bypass, with return traffic following the same route.

No UPSC exams in Allahabad

Due to the Magh Mela and its major bathing festivals in January, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) will not conduct its recruitment exams this month, TOI reports. The decision was taken to prevent inconvenience to candidates amid traffic restrictions and massive pilgrim movement.