Mahakumbh Nagar, Feb 26 (PTI) Chimes of cymbals, holy chants and kaleidoscopic colours of India fused into each other at the Triveni Sangam, as pilgrims from various parts of the country converged at the holy confluence site on Mahashivratri to take a dip on the last day of the Maha Kumbh here.

Maha Kumbh, the spectacle that takes place once in 12 years, began on January 13 (Paush Purnima) and saw grand processions of Naga Sadhus and three 'Amrit Snans'. The mega religious gathering has drawn a record over 66 crore pilgrims so far.

Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 15-Year-Old Girl Raped Multiple Times by Tuition Teacher, Probe Underway.

Being the last auspicious 'snan' of the Maha Kumbh, a large number of devotees had begun to gather on the banks of the Sangam from close to midnight, and while some camped and waited patiently to take the dip at 'Brahma Muhurt', scores of them performed the bathing rituals much before the appointed time.

Among them were four friends from West Bengal's Siliguri, who wore matching bright yellow dhotis before heading to the ghat for the bathing ritual.

Also Read | Telangana Tunnel Collapse: Breakthrough in Reaching Trapped Men in SLBC Tunnel Likely 'Very Soon', Says State Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Akash Pal, who works at an MNC, Abhijeet Chakraborty, a content writer, Raja Sonwani, who works in the pharmaceutical sector and Abhishek Pal, a lawyer, have diverse careers, but united in their desire to celebrate the festival of "Mahashivratri at the Maha Kumbh".

"We are friends and we travelled from West Bengal to Prayagraj in a car. It feels amazing to be part of this spectacular gathering and more so on this auspicious day," Akash Pal told PTI.

All four carried a saffron-coloured container to collect Ganga Jal to take back home. Pilgrims from West Bengal had also come from places like Durgapur and Cooch Behar.

Chants of 'Jai Ganga Maiyya', 'Har Har Mahadev', 'Jai Mahakal', and 'Sita Ram' filled the air, complementing the sweet chimes of cymbals played by many devotees.

Billed as the world's largest spiritual gathering on earth, the mega religious festival on its last day attracted pilgrims not only from all four corners of the country but also from neighbouring Nepal.

Four teenagers from Nepal, along with three other members, took a holy dip to celebrate Mahashivratri close to 2.30 am.

Manish Mandal, Rabbi Mandal, Arjun Mandal, Dipak Sahni and his uncle Domi Sahni wore matching Lord Shiva-themed tunics while the three youths also sported a "gamcha' bearing 'Mahakal' on it.

"We are from Janakpur in Nepal, a place associated with Mata Sita. Our city is famous for the Janaki Temple. And, after the holy dip, we will be going to Ayodhya for a darshan of Lord Ram," Sahni told PTI in the early hours of Wednesday.

The members of the group from Nepal travelled first to Jayanagar in Bihar from their hometown and then took a train to reach Prayagraj.

"From Ayodhya, we will go back to Jayanagar and then to Janakpur, after having seen both the Kumbh Mela and Ayodhya," Sahni said.

Several pilgrims also said they were drawn to the Kumbh Mela because of the "144 factor", a claim made by certain quarters that celestial permutations and combinations during the event took place after 144 years.

Pilgrims also came from Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, covering the length and breadth of the country.

There were visitors from Mexico and the US as well who came to witness the grand occasion.

As pilgrims milled around and took a holy dip at various ghats at or near the confluence site, security personnel kept a vigilant eye, not allowing crowding at any place for a long duration.

Huge gateways, such as the Nandi Dwar and the Sangam Dwar, have been built in the Maha Kumbh Mela area. The top of the Sangam Dwar near the confluence site, carries an image of Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna and Maa Saraswati.

Several pilgrims while walking to the Sangam stopped by briefly to take a picture with the gateway in the background.

Rajvir Singh Jhala, 20, a BBA student from Rajkot took a holy dip right at the Sangam nose, as did his mother and other family members who arrived in Prayagraj from Gujarat in a bus on Wednesday night.

"Lord Shiva for me means 'Shunyata', one must feel that he or she is nothing in front of him. Besides, one must have goodness inside. If one has malice inside, washing oneself in the holy Sangam will not cleanse any sin," Jhala told PTI right after a 'snan'.

In the city of Prayagraj, devotees thronged some of the ancient 'shivalayas' from early morning. Women in large numbers queued up to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva.

Many pilgrims after taking a holy dip at the Sangam and on their way out to the next destination, visited and offered prayers at the stone-made old Ram Janaki Temple located near Triveni Marg.

Mahashivratri commemorates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and holds special significance in the context of the Kumbh Mela.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva played a crucial role in the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), which led to the emergence of the Amrit Kumbh (nectar pitcher), the very essence of the Kumbh Mela.

The day draws large crowds of devotees to the sacred confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, considered holy by Hindus.

About 1.53 crore devotees had immersed themselves at the Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area till 8 pm on Wednesday, pushing the overall footfall during the Maha Kumbh 2025 to over 66 crore, according to officials.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)