Mahakumbh 2025 wraps up: 65 crore devotees, 6 Shahi snans & controversies — a look at BIG moments in 5 points

The Mahakumbh Mela, known as the world’s largest religious gathering, ends on Wednesday, with the nation observing the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri. United by the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, the 45-day Kumbh mela saw more than 64 crore devotees participating in bathing rituals in Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati.

There were a total of six ‘snans’ during the Mahakumbh. They are known as Amrit snans — Makar Sankranti (January 14) Mauni Amavasya (January 29) and Basant Panchami (February 3). Though not a Amrit Snan, Maha Shivratri dip was among the last of the total six ‘snans’, the other two being Paush Purnima (January 13) and Maaghi Purnima (February 11-12).

While devotion and faith filled the air at Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh, a few controversies unfolded on the side, bizarre events made to Instagram reels and many shot to fame after going viral on social media.

Here are Top 5 highlights of Mahakumbh 2025:

1. Top politicians, Bollywood stars, business tycoons throng Mahakumbh

This year’s Mahakumbh was a star-studded event. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, Akhilesh Yadav, Devendra Fadnavis to Bollywood celebes including Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, Hema Malini and Remo D Souza, to business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and his family, Gautam Adani, and Steve jobs’ wife Laurene Powell Jobs visited Mahakumbh to take the holy dip in Sangam.

2. Mahakumbh viral girl; IIT Baba; other viral moments

Sixteen-year-old Monalisa Bhosle from Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district became an internet sensation during Mahakumbh 2025. Now, she is set to make her Bollywood debut. Monalisa first gained fame when a content creator filmed her selling rudraksha garlands at Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj. Her striking eyes and natural charm captivated social media users, making her a viral sensation.

Like Monalisa, Abhay Singh, now known as IITian Baba, also garnered significant attention online after his interview at Mahakumbh 2025 went viral on social media. He continued to make news with his controversial remarks on the Ranveer Allahbadia controversy and failed prediction of the India Vs Pakistan Champions Trophy match.

Among other viral moments were that of a local entrepreneur who had devised a unique service of ‘digital snan’ for distant devotees to participate symbolically. For ₹1,100 per person, the man immersed passport-sized pictures of people who couldn’t attend Mahakumbh physically into the holy water on their behalf.

3. Stampedes and fire

The second Amrit snan on January 29 is when chaos — and tragedy — broke out. A stampede broke out in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj near Sangam banks during the Mahakumbh on the day thousands of devotees had gathered to take a holy dip in the Ganga river on the ‘Mauni Amavasya’. At least 30 people died, and 60 others were injured in the incident that took place between 1 am and 2 am on January 29.

Another stampede occurred at the New Delhi Railway station when a huge crowd of passengers rushed to board trains to Prayagraj. “18 people, including 14 women, lost their lives in the stampede that occurred yesterday around 10 PM at New Delhi Railway station,” Delhi police said.

The Kumbh also saw nearly half a dozen fire incidents. There were no casualties. “As many as 50 fire stations, 20 fire posts were always on standby to meet any situation,” Chief Fire Officer Pramod Sharma told news agency PTI.

4. ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ and ‘faltu’ political rows

Mahakumbh was also a matter of debate among politicians. While the stampede issued reached Parliament during the 2025 budget session, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sparked a row by calling Mahakumbh “Mrityu Kumbh” due to incidents of stampede. Banerjee also said that the claim of Maha Kumbh occurring after 144 years was untrue.

Several opposition leaders questioned Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the preparations and management of the Mahakumbh mela. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress accused the UP government of concealing the stampede toll.

Former Union Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also stroked a controversy as he dubbed Mahakumbh “faltu”. When asked about his suggestion regarding crowd management for the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, Lalu Yadav said, “Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faaltu hai kumbh [Kumbh has no meaning. Kumbh is useless].”

5. Controversies around sanitation and cleanliness at Mahakumbh

With ‘Divya Kumbh, Bhavya Kumbh, Surakshit Kumbh’ as its tagline, the Kumbh was billed as a great example of security and cleanliness. Security and sanitation personnel worked round-the-clock in multiple shifts to keep the area safe and clean.

However, astrologer and YouTuber Nidhi Chaudhary, seeking a similar spiritual experience, visited the Kumbh Mela and took to social media to describe her shock and disgust after allegedly finding the Sangam contaminated with human excreta.

Following this, the Ganga water at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, where millions of people are taking a holy dip during the Mahakumbh, was deemed unsafe for bathing due to elevated levels of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), a critical parameter for assessing water quality.

The Central Pollution Control Board earlier told the National Green Tribunal that several locations in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj do not conform to the primary water quality standards for bathing regarding faecal coliform levels.

Kumbh, which is a familiar trope in Hindi films of the past when brothers and families separated in the surging crowds only to be united at the end, is coming to an end. It was said that this MahaKumbh was “once-in-a-lifetime” experience as it came after 144 years. Seers claimed that celestial permutations and combinations during the event took place after 144 years.