The 45-day spiritual Maha Kumbh which commenced on January 13, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, witnessed a record gathering of devotees taking dip at the Triveni Sangam -- the confluence of the Ganga,

Prayagraj: The 45-day-long Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest and most spiritually significant events in the world, came to a spectacular close Wednesday as millions of devotees gathered at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj for the final ‘Amrit Snan’ (holy dip) on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri.

Large crowds turned out in northern India on Wednesday for the last day of the six-week Maha Kumbh Mela that drew a total of 663 million people seeking absolution of their sins by taking a dip in waters that devout Hindus consider sacred.

The 45-day long Hindu religious event, which began on 13 January, concluded on Maha Shivratri on 26 February. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in 45 days, 66 crore 21 lakh devotees took holy dip at the Triveni Sangam, the sacred confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in Prayagraj.

Over 1.32 crore devotees attended the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, with the overall footfall surpassing 65 crore, well exceeding that of Mecca and Vatican City.

Actor Preity Zinta visited Maha Kumbh Mela for the third time and said her experience has been magical, heartwarming and a bit sad. Zinta shared a video post on her X handle on Wednesday featuring her visit to the festival where she took the holy dip at triveni sangam.

Huge crowds cover the shores of the Indian Ganges river as devotees take a final sacred dip of the Kumbh Mela festival. According to the Uttar Pradesh state government, more than 640 million people took part in the festival,