On the morning of Mauni Amavasya, a stampede-like event at the Maha Kumbh harmed about thirty women, leading Akharas to postpone the holy dip.
Barricades around a kilometer from the “Sangam” collapsed as thousands of worshippers poured into the tent city in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the “Amrit Snan,” causing some ladies to pass out. The scenario started to resemble a stampede as the unconscious women fell. After that, they were taken to a hospital on the grounds of the Maha Kumbh fair. Additionally, some women with severe injuries were taken to Swaroop Rani Medical College and Bailey Hospital for treatment.
Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri said that seers have called off their Mauni Amavasya’s Amrit Snan. “You would’ve seen what happened in the morning, and that’s why we have decided to… All of our saints and seers were ready for the ‘snan’ when we were informed about this incident. That’s why we have decided to call off our ‘snan’ on ‘Mauni Amavasya’,” Mahant Ravindra Puri told news agency.
Mahant Hari Giri, the patron of Juna Akhara and general secretary of the Akhada Parishad, also urged followers to bathe in the Ganga wherever they are and then head back home.
Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, was instructed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up emergency assistance measures. To prevent similar circumstances at other locations within the fair grounds, authorities shuttered pontoon bridges.
Nearly five crore people had already arrived in Prayagraj one day before the second Amrit Snan, and crowds were expected to surpass 10 crore on the day of the event. Authorities put strict security measures in place, using drone monitoring, AI-powered surveillance, and more police officers to control large crowds. The Prayagraj government has strongly urged locals to refrain from using four-wheelers and to use two-wheelers only when transporting elderly people to the Sangam, even though the Mela area has already been designated as a no-vehicle zone for the coming days.
The most important Maha Kumbh rite is the Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya. To handle the extraordinary number of pilgrims, the railways are operating 360 trains, including 190 special trains. “The special trains are being run in three zones — Northern Railway, North Eastern Railway and North Central Railway — to manage the massive influx of devotees,” Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board said. “This historic move will ensure a train runs every four minutes, and provide seamless connectivity and uninterrupted travel for millions of pilgrims,” he added.
In addition to providing minor to major procedures in every sector of the fair region, the Uttar Pradesh government has sent over 1,000 medical specialists to the Maha Kumbh area, according to an official release. In addition, a super-specialty hospital in Mahakumbh Nagar has 300 specialized doctors on staff to manage any emergencies.
The most important Maha Kumbh rite is the Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya. The event is more spiritually significant this year because of a unique celestial alignment called ‘Triveni Yog,’ which only happens once every 144 years. As per tradition of the Kumbh Mela, Akharas belonging to the three sects ‘Sanyasi, Bairagi, and Udaseen’ take the holy dip in a set sequence following a majestic, awe-inspiring procession to the Sangam Ghat. The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya is expected to draw around 10 crore pilgrims.
On important bathing occasions like the Mauni Amavasya, the seers and saints, including the ash-smeared Nagas, then submerge themselves in the holy confluence of the Yamuna, Ganga, and legendary Saraswati rivers. It is thought that the water of the sacred rivers transforms into “Amrit” on Mauni Amavasya, making it the most auspicious of all the special bathing occasions. The government also planned to shower 25 quintals of rose petals using helicopters on the devotees.
Over 15 crore pilgrims have already taken a holy dip over the last 17 days of the Maha Kumbh 2025. According to the Uttar Pradesh government, more than 4.80 crore devotees took the snan on Tuesday alone, surpassing the 3.5 crore who attended Amrit Snan on Makar Sankranti. January 13 marked the beginning of the Maha Kumbh, which will last through February 26.