Mahakumbh: Over 50 crore take holy dip so far; Akhilesh Yadav demands Mela extension

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday claimed that over 50 crore people have taken a holy dip so far at the Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela—a number which is more than the combined population of the US and Russia.

The religious event at Prayagraj started on January 13 and will continue till February 26.

According to the Yogi Adityanath government, the footfall at the Hindu pilgrimage has surpassed the population count of all countries except India and China.

"Nations like the United States, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, and Bangladesh all have smaller populations than those who have immersed themselves in the sacred waters of Sanatan Dharma," the government said in a statement.

Despite the stampede on January 29—which killed at least 30 people—the fair continued to draw millions of pilgrims from India and the world daily.

In a post on X, Chief Minister Adityanath thanked all those involved in the organisation of the "festival of humanity", including the Maha Kumbh Mela administration, local administration, police, sanitation workers, voluntary organisations, religious institutions, boatmen, and all departments of the central and state governments.

"The fact that more than 50 crore citizens have taken a holy dip at the Sangam is a supreme expression of the highest human values and reflects a deep-rooted faith in the great Sanatan. In true sense, this is the Amrit Kaal of India's public faith," he said on X in Hindi.

'Govt underreporting devotees number'

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav demanded an extension of the Kumbh Mela schedule, saying many people couldn't take yet the holy dip.

Yadav claimed that in previous years, the Mela lasted for 75 days.

"At one time, the Kumbh used to last seventy-five days. During Emperor Harshavardhana's time, it was even longer, attracting people from all religions and distant places. So, we demand the government extend it," he said, addressing a press conference in Lucknow.

The SP chief alleged that the government was underreporting the number of devotees attending the Kumbh Mela, saying the footfall is around 60 crore.

"By now, 600 million people (60 crores) must have taken a bath, but the government is not disclosing the actual number. They are deliberately underreporting figures so that, in the future, if someone studies the administrative or management aspects, their failures and mismanagement will be exposed," he said.