More than 76 million people on Wednesday took what is called a “royal dip” in the river waters up until 8pm (1430 GMT), and three more “royal dips” are scheduled before the festival ends.
On Thursday, more than 9 million people took a “holy dip” at the confluence of three sacred rivers by 10am (0430 GMT), officials said.
Devotees take “holy dips” every day, but on specific dates the practice is considered particularly sacred and is called a “royal” dip, attracting larger crowds.
Devout Hindus believe that taking a dip at the confluence of three sacred rivers – the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati – absolves them of sins and brings salvation from the cycle of birth and death.
The Hindu festival – held every 12 years – is expected to draw some 400 million devotees in 2025, officials estimate. The Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, in comparison, drew 1.8 million people last year.
Railway and bus stations across Prayagraj saw a surge in crowds on Thursday as people continued to arrive for the festival, but authorities said the rush was being managed and there were no incidents.
“Things are now totally under control,” senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told Reuters.
Opposition leaders have blamed the stampede on mismanagement and urged the government to improve festival arrangements, while local media said on Thursday that better crowd planning was needed to prevent such incidents.
“There is much scope for improving crowd management at the Kumbh,” the Hindustan Times newspaper said in an editorial.
Authorities erected a temporary city across 4,000 ha on the river banks – the size of 7,500 football fields – with 150,000 tents to accommodate devotees and almost an equal number of toilets. More than 50,000 personnel are on guard to ensure the safety of visitors.
