Kumbh Mela footfall touches 50 cr-mark, more than combined population of US, Russia

The participation marks the 'largest congregation' in human history for any religious, cultural, or social event, said the state government, which is hosting the mega fair in Prayagraj

Mahakumbh Nagar: Over 50 crore devotees have taken a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh till Friday evening, which is more than the combined population of the US and Russia, the government said.

The participation marks the ‘largest congregation’ in human history for any religious, cultural, or social event, said the state government, which is hosting the mega fair in Prayagraj.

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The statement from the Uttar Pradesh government added that the footfall at the Hindu pilgrimage has surpassed the population count of all countries except India and China.

Being held after 12 years, the Maha Kumbh started on January 13 and will continue till February 26 on the banks of the Triveni Sangam — the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, considered holy among Hindus.

Despite a deadly stampede on January 29, the fair continued to draw millions of pilgrims from India and the world daily. According to the government, over 92 lakh devotees had taken a dip till 6 pm on Friday alone, pushing the overall footfall at Maha Kumbh past 50 crore (till February 14).

“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 government said in the statement.

According to the US Census Bureau, the world’s top 10 most populous countries are India (1,41,93,16,933), China (1,40,71,81,209), the US (34,20,34,432), Indonesia (28,35,87,097), Pakistan (25,70,47,044), Nigeria (24,27,94,751), Brazil (22,13,59,387), Bangladesh (17,01,83,916), Russia (14,01,34,279) and Mexico (13,17,41,347), it noted.

“Only India and China surpass the number of devotees at Maha Kumbh. In contrast, nations like the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Brazil fall significantly behind,” the government added.

Shortly after the record milestone, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to social media and said the Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, a living symbol of India’s spirituality, unity, equality, and harmony, has seen over 50 crore devotees take a holy dip in the sacred Triveni so far.

“Of India’s total population of 1.1 billion, over 500 million citizens follow Sanatan Dharma. The fact that more than 50 crore citizens have taken a holy dip at the Sangam is a supreme expression of the highest human values and reflects a deep-rooted faith in the great Sanatan. In true sense, this is the Amrit Kaal of India’s public faith,” he said on X in Hindi.