Kumar Bahukhandi
Flood of devotees in Maha Kumbh – Photo: Prime Look
The number of devotees in Maha Kumbh has crossed the figure of 55 crores. By the last and main bathing festival of Mahashivratri, this number can reach above 60 crores. The crowd of devotees is continuously moving towards Sangam.
The divine and grand religious, cultural gathering ‘Mahakumbh 2025’ being organized in Sangamnagari from January 13 has now created history. So far, more than 55 crore devotees have set a unique example of religious and cultural unity by taking a holy dip of Sanatan faith in the Triveni Sangam. This number of more than 55 crore has become the largest participation in any religious, cultural or social event in human history.
According to an estimate, a total of 110 crore Sanatanis live in India. In this sense, half of the Sanatanis of the country have attained virtue by taking a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam in the Maha Kumbh. By the last bathing festival of Shivratri on February 26, this number can be more than 60 crores.
45 percent of the world’s Sanatanis took a dip
India is a religious country. Here, people who follow not one but many religions live together. However, the largest number in this is of those who believe in Sanatan Dharma. According to World Population Review, Pew Research, the estimated population of India is 143 crores (1.43 billion). In this, the number of Sanatan Dharma followers is about 110 crores (1.10 billion). In this way, if the number of bathers is compared with the number of Sanatanis in India, then 50 percent of the people have taken a dip in Triveni Sangam so far.
If the bathers are compared with the total population of the country, then it is more than 38 percent. That is, more than 38 percent of the total population of the country has taken a dip in Triveni Sangam. If the report of Pew Research 2024 is to be believed, then 120 crores (1.2 billion) population in the whole world believes in Sanatan Dharma. In this regard, more than 45 percent of the Sanatanis from all over the world have taken a dip in the Sangam.
The number of devotees has crossed Yogi’s expectations
The bathing of saints, devotees, Kalpvasis, bathers and householders, filled with faith and devotion in the holy confluence of Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna and invisible Maa Saraswati, has now crossed the peak which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had hoped would set a new record of the number of bathers even before the Maha Kumbh. He had expressed the possibility of 45 crore devotees coming in the beginning itself.
Let us tell you that his estimate had proved true on 11 February itself. On Friday (14 February), this number reached above 50 crore and now it has touched a new peak of 55 crore. There are still nine days left for the conclusion of Maha Kumbh and one important bathing festival is remaining. It is expected that this number of bathers can go above 60 crore.
Huge crowd of devotees gathered on various bathing festivals
If we analyse the total number of bathers till now, the maximum of about eight crore devotees took bath on Mauni Amavasya, while 3.5 crore devotees took Amrit bath on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. On 1st February and 30th January, more than 2 crore devotees took holy dip and on Paush Purnima, 1.7 crore devotees took holy dip, apart from this, on Vasant Panchami, 2.57 crore devotees took a holy dip in Triveni. On the important bathing festival of Maghi Purnima, more than two crore devotees took holy bath in Sangam.
