Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

As Prayagraj continues to witness a huge footfall of devotees gathering at Mahakumbh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that so far, 53 crore devotees have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam and this process will continue for the next nine days.

CM Yogi Adityanath said, "This moment is even more important for us when Mahakumbh is being organized, which has become the world's largest spiritual and cultural event to date. So far, 53 crore devotees have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam and this process will continue for the next nine days."

He further said that this is the potential of the country and people got opportunity to visit Uttar Pradesh.

He further said, "Under the leadership of PM Modi, for the first time the faith of the country got respect. The wait of 500 years is over and now we can go to Ayodhya to offer prayers to Lord Ram. In 2016-17, when there was no BJP government in the state, the number of devotees coming to Ayodhya was only 2 lakh 35 thousand, and in 2024, this number is more than 14 to 15 crore devotees. This is the result of the contribution of the devotees."

Devotees continued to arrive at Mahakumbh 2025 to take a holy dip at Triveni Sangam on the 36th day of the festival on Monday. Over 52 crore devotees have taken a holy dip so far at the world's largest human gathering.

A massive influx of devotees was seen at the Prayagraj Railway station on Monday.

Police officials were constantly vigilant to manage the overwhelming crowd.

The Director General of Central Reserve Police Force, G P Singh reviewed the security arrangements for Prayagraj's Mahakumbh on Sunday, also appreciated how there is a 'fine synergy' between the Uttar Pradesh Police, CRPF and all other agencies involved.

The X account of CRPF mentioned, "In Prayagraj, DG GP Singh assessed security arrangements for Mahakumbh, guiding CRPF officials on balancing vigilance with seamless public assistance."

"He appreciated the fine synergy between UP Police, CRPF, and all agencies involved while commending their hard work so far in maintaining security," the post added.

To ease the extra rush of passengers during the Mahakumbh Mela and in the backdrop of the recent stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, Northern Railway has decided to run four special trains to facilitate smooth travel for devotees and travellers.

The four special trains are Train No 04420: New Delhi to Prayagraj Jn, departing at 19:00 hours, with a route via New Delhi-Ghaziabad-Moradabad-Bareilly-Lucknow-Raebareli Jn-Phaphamau Jn; Train No 04422: New Delhi to Prayagraj Jn, departing at 21:00 hours, following the same route as Train No. 04420; Train No 04424: Anand Vihar Terminal to Prayagraj Jn, departing at 20:00 hours, with a route via Ghaziabad-Moradabad-Bareilly-Lucknow-Raebareli-Phaphamau; and Train No 04418: New Delhi to Darbhanga Jn, departing at 15:00 hours, with a route via New Delhi-Ghaziabad-Chipyana Buzurg-Kanpur-Lucknow-Phaphamau-Varanasi-Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn-Patliputra Jn-Darbhanga.

These special trains are introduced to manage the increased passenger traffic during the Mela and provide added convenience to the travellers.

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"For the convenience of the rail passengers and to clear extra rush during Mahakumbh Mela, Railways have decided to run Mahakumbh Mela Special trains," said the release.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of 18 people and left many others injured, Central Railway has also announced the operation of four special trains for pilgrims travelling to Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh.