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.

Following a stampede last month, authorities have implemented stricter crowd control measures the mela ground and Prayagraj.

Maha Kumbh, held in Prayagraj, witnessed a record 66 crore devotees taking a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam, with 1.53 crore devotees participating on Mahashivratri.

The Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years based on the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter's alignment, is especially significant in 2025 as the Maha Kumbh occurs once every 144 years.

Devotees gathered at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj to take a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh on Mahashivratri as the 45-day grand spiritual event ends today. Stay tuned for latest updates:

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.

Millions attended the festival over the last month including several celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif, Raveena Tandon and others.

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.

A 15-day special cleanliness drive began at the Maha Kumbh Mela grounds on Friday following the conclusion of the mega event on February 26, the Uttar Pradesh government said