A large congregation of devotees gathered at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on Tuesday, braving the chilly weather, to take a holy dip during the ongoing Maha Kumbh.

According to data from the Uttar Pradesh government, more than 1.597 million devotees took a dip at Triveni Sangam on the ninth day of the Maha Kumbh. As of January 20, over 88.1 million people have participated in the ritual at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mystical Saraswati rivers.

On Tuesday morning, Prayagraj city was engulfed in a dense layer of fog, accompanied by inclement weather conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, with fog in the morning and a mainly clear sky forecasted for later in the day. Despite the foggy conditions, flight operations at Prayagraj Airport remained normal.

Thousands of devotees gathered at the ghats of Sangam to take a holy dip in the confluence of the three rivers, which is considered sacred in Hinduism.

On Monday, Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty expressed her immense joy upon arriving in Prayagraj to attend the Maha Kumbh. Speaking to ANI, she said, “I am very excited because this is ‘Teerthraj.’ The Maha Kumbh comes once every 144 years, and I am excited, hopeful, and extremely happy to be here. I will be staying for three days.”

The Maha Kumbh is one of the largest and most significant religious congregations in the world, held every 12 years at one of four locations in India. The next key ‘snan’ dates are as follows: January 29 (Mauni Amavasya – Second Shahi Snan), February 3 (Basant Panchami – Third Shahi Snan), February 12 (Maghi Purnima), and February 26 (Maha Shivaratri).

To ensure safety and security, the Uttar Pradesh Police have deployed over 10,000 personnel, including local police and paramilitary forces. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also stationed a “water ambulance” at Sangam to assist devotees.

The Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and will continue until February 26.