Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj and neighbouring cities continued to face massive traffic over the weekend as thousands of vehicles moved towards the city for the ongoing Maha Kumbh, which has attracted more than 50 crore devotees since it began last month.

The congestion in the city was seen near Balsan, Bairhana, Sobtiabagh and Darbhanga. A 15-minute journey is taking residents nearly three hours.

The number of Maha Kumbh-bound vehicles in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa, which borders Prayagraj, has also increased in the past 24 hours.

The roads are choked despite the completion of three significant ‘Amrit Snans’ (holy dips) on the auspicious days of Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, and Basant Panchami.

The massive traffic was seen a day after 18 people were killed in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, which was caused by a sudden rush of passengers who were trying to board trains for the Maha Kumbh. Various railway stations across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have now been put on alert after the stampede.

Last week, thousands of devotees heading to the Maha Kumbh were stranded on highways due to traffic jams, reportedly spanning hundreds of kilometres, on routes leading to Prayagraj. Reports suggested the queue of stranded vehicles stretched up to 300 kilometres.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday also urged the Uttar Pradesh government to extend the duration of the Maha Kumbh, citing the overwhelming number of devotees on the roads still hoping to attend.

Mr Yadav claimed that in previous years, the Maha Kumbh and Kumbh Mela lasted for 75 days, whereas the current schedule is shorter.

Maha Kumbh Footfall Crosses 50 Crore-Mark

More than 50 crore devotees have so far taken a holy dip at Sangam, the point where the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers meet, during the Maha Kumbh.

Dubbed the largest religious gathering in the world, the Maha Kumbh started on January 13 and will continue till February 26.

Photo Credit: PTI

“Nations like the United States, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, and Bangladesh all have smaller populations than those who have immersed themselves in the sacred waters of Sanatan Dharma,” the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement after the Maha Kumbh footfall crossed the 50 crore-mark on Friday.

After the milestone, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Maha Kumbh 2025 is a “living symbol of India’s spirituality, unity, equality, and harmony”.

Before the onset of the Maha Kumbh, the government had estimated the footfall to be around 40 crore to 45 crore.