The Maha Kumbh Mela celebrated its first special bathing ritual, called ‘Amrit Snan’, on Monday. This event was especially important because of a sad incident on ‘Mauni Amavasya’ January 29, where a stampede took the lives of at least 30 people. Many people from around the world came to seek spiritual freedom through this sacred dip in the holy rivers.
On the special day of Basant Panchami, the bathing started early in the morning. Many holy men, known as sadhus, including the ash-covered Nagas from different groups called akharas, made their way to Triveni Sangam, the meeting point of three rivers. By 4 am, around 1.66 million devotees had already taken their holy dip, and since January 13, the total reached about 349.7 million.
This year’s ‘Amrit Snan’ was even more meaningful due to the past tragedy, so the Uttar Pradesh government made sure to keep everyone safe with strong safety measures. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was actively involved, bringing in extra staff, doctors, and resources to ensure a safe event.
As usual, different akharas took their turns for the holy bath. The Sanyasi Sect started first at 4 am, with groups like Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani joining in. Each akhara had 40 minutes for their rituals, and the first group headed back to their camps by 8:30 am. Next, the Bairagi akharas began their bathing at 8:25 am, and the Udaseen Sect followed from 11 am until 3:55 pm.
This Maha Kumbh takes place every 12 years and has a powerful spiritual vibe this year. Many astrologers say this event is extra special because of ‘Triveni Yog’, a rare star alignment that happens only once every 144 years. The dates for ‘Amrit Snan’ depend on certain positions of the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter, believed to make the rivers even more sacred.
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