In Mahakumbh thanksgiving, officials, staff take dip of reverence at Sangam
Kenneth John
Having shouldered the responsibility of organising the 45-day Mahakumbh successfully, senior administrative, police officials and staff bid adieu to the mega event by taking the holy dip at the Sangam on Friday morning.
The Mahakumbh, which began with the Paush Purnima Snan on January 13 and concluded with the Mahashivratri Snan on February 26, drew 66.30 crore (663 million) devotees/
Led by Mahakumbh Nagar district magistrate and Mela officer Vijay Kiran Anand and additional director general of police (zone) Bhanu Bhasker, nearly 200 officials and staff of the Prayagraj Mela Authority bathed at the Triveni Sangam.
The senior officials who took the holy dip also included commissioner of police Tarun Gauba, DIG (Mahakumbh) Vaibhav Krishna, OSD Akansha Rana, ADM (Mela) Vivek Chaturvedi, Dayanand Prasad and Sanjeev Ojha.
Mahakumbh Nagar DM Vijay Kiran Anand said the successful completion of Mahakumbh-2025 was a collective effort of all entrusted with the task and now a final adieu to the Mahakumbh as a team by taking a plunge ourselves in the holy waters of Sangam was refreshing.
“Finally, we made it through safely. Despite the trend reversal of over a crore devotees continuing to arrive in the Mela even after the last Amrit Snan of Basant Panchami, all went off smoothly as per schedule. I, along with 200 other officials and staff of the administrative and police department, bathed at Triveni Sangam. It was nice to work together and take the holy dip together,” he said.
Asked about the difference between the 2019 Kumbh and the 2025 Mahakumbh, as he headed both the Melas, Anand said, “This time it was more than double the challenge. The unexpected devotee surge continuing all through the mega event was a formidable challenge. But everything passed off peacefully. From tomorrow, it will be dismantling of the Mela and settling of payments, besides completion of official procedures for winding up,” he added.
DIG, Mahakumbh, Vaibhav Krishna said, “Post successful completion of the Mela, a challenge beyond our expectations, the dip in Triveni Sangam cannot be explained in words. The Mahakumbh proved to be the biggest religious event and a challenge requiring nerves of steel. We stood up to the occasion and thankfully everything passed off peacefully with the blessings of Maa Gange,” he said.
As was time for all to bid adieu to the greatest religious gathering on the earth, the once overcrowded bathing ghats stood deserted on Friday. The sirens of emergency services like the ambulance, fire tenders and police escorts fell silent and the loudspeakers, which had blared announcements 24×7 about the lost and found, were turned off.
