Maha Kumbh live: Govt offices given holida as crowd swells in Prayagraj for 'Amrit Snan'

Maha Kumbh 2025 live updates: The Maha Kumbh Mela is witnessing another ‘Amrit Snan’ on Monday on the occasion of Basant Panchami, the first holy bathing ritual after the deadly stampede on the last key bathing day that killed at least 30 people.

Tighter arrangements and protocol are in place to ensure an ‘incident-free’ ‘Amrit Snan’, with mela authorities and akharas deciding on a sequence in which the spiritual sects will take dip at the Sangam Nose, where the fatal crowd crush had happened last week.

Marking the third ‘Amrit Snan’ of the Mela, at the break of dawn several seers from across various ‘akharas’ indulged in the holy dip. By 4 am, 16.58 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip, with the Uttar Pradesh government expecting 5 crore devotees on Monday alone.