President Droupadi Murmu takes holy dip at Triveni Sangam in Maha Kumbh

President Droupadi Murmu took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam during her visit to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. She was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. After the dip, she performed Ganga Aarti and visited the Bade Hanuman Temple and the Akshayavat tree. The Maha Kumbh Mela, which began on January 13, will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26.

A statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan outlined the President’s itinerary, stating, "During her day-long visit to Prayagraj, the President will take a holy dip and perform Pooja at Sangam, perform Pooja and Darshan at Akshayvat and Hanuman Mandir, and also visit the Digital Kumbh Anubhav Centre." The Digital Maha Kumbh Experience Centre provides a virtual representation of the festival.

Over 44 crore devotees have participated in the Maha Kumbh so far, with 1.42 crore taking a dip at the Sangam on Sunday. The Prayagraj Sangam railway station was temporarily closed due to heavy crowds, and severe traffic congestion was reported on major routes leading to the city. Authorities confirmed that vehicle movement restrictions were lifted on festival days, allowing all types of vehicles to operate.

Traffic police officials reported long traffic jams due to the high number of vehicles attempting to reach the Kumbh area. ADCP (Traffic) Kuldeep Singh stated, "The number of vehicles is very high, and passengers are trying to come as close as possible to the Maha Kumbh Mela area. Due to this, there is a long jam." Police in Madhya Pradesh, which shares a border with Uttar Pradesh, stopped vehicle movement at multiple junctions to regulate traffic flow into Prayagraj.

Security arrangements have been strengthened following a stampede on ‘Mauni Amavasya’ that resulted in 30 deaths. Authorities have deployed additional personnel and are monitoring crowd movement to manage the influx of pilgrims. The Maha Kumbh Mela, recognized as the world’s largest religious gathering, continues to see heavy participation from devotees, saints, and officials from across the country.