First Bath of Maha Kumbh: The preparations for the Maha Kumbh Mela are almost complete. Today, January 13, the Maha Kumbh 2025 will begin with the Poush Purnima bath. Around 50 lakh devotees are expected to take a holy dip in the Sangam on this day. With this bath, the month-long arduous kalpavas will also begin.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that during all the bathing festivals of Maha Kumbh, flowers will be showered on the saints and devotees from helicopters. On Tuesday, January 14, the bath on Makar Sankranti will take place, and on this day, the first royal bath (Amrit Snan) of the Akhadas will occur. On Makar Sankranti, it is estimated that around 2.5 crore devotees will take a dip in the Triveni.
The mela administration has completed all the necessary preparations for the first bath. The arrival of devotees started a week ago, and by Sunday night, the influx of kalpavasis and devotees continued. It is expected that 50 lakh pilgrims will arrive at the mela area on Sunday itself. A 12-kilometer-long bathing ghat has been prepared in the Sangam area for the devotees, and 18,000 changing rooms and 1.25 lakh toilets have been arranged.
The day before the Poush Purnima bath, a large number of devotees gathered on the banks of the Sangam. Devotees began bathing from Sunday morning, and after the bath, many applied tilak and posed for photos. The craze for Maha Kumbh is also visible on social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
The Poush Purnima bath will begin on January 13, 2025, at 4:32 AM and continue until 3:41 AM the next day. According to astrologer Dr. Divakar Tripathi, the bathing period will start from 4:32 AM on January 13 and will continue throughout the day until 3:41 AM on January 14.
On Makar Sankranti, the auspicious bathing period will be between 9:03 AM and 10:50 AM (1 hour and 47 minutes). As there will be no Bhadra on this day, the bathing will be considered auspicious throughout the day.
