Maha Kumbh: Amit Shah takes dip at Sangam, performs rituals

The Union Home Minister terms the religious event as a unique symbol of Sanatan culture's philosophy

Mahakumbh Nagar (UP): Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a dip at the Triveni Sangam here on Monday and described the Maha Kumbh as a unique symbol of the Sanatan culture’s philosophy, which is rooted in harmony. Shah took the dip around 1 pm, performed “jal aachman” (sipping holy water) and offered water to the Sun, besides performing other rituals under the guidance of top seers.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who, along with the seers, entered the holy waters with Shah, moved back when the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader took the dip. Soon, Junapithadheeshwar Mahamandelashwar Acharya Avdheshanand Giriji Maharaj asked Adityanath to come and join the others in performing the rituals and the chief minister came forward again. Yoga guru Ramdev was also among those present on the occasion.

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The Home Minister’s family members, including son Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), partook in the rituals, including “aarti” at the Sangam. Amit Shah’s wife Sonal, daughter-in-law Rishita and grandchildren also took part in the rituals.

The seers blessed Jay Shah and Rishita’s newborn as the ICC chairman held him in his lap while his elder daughter joined him for the “aarti”. “I am overwhelmed and delighted to have taken a holy dip at the sacred Triveni Sangam during the ‘Maha Kumbh’, a symbol of social harmony and unity, in the presence of revered seers,” Shah said in a post in Hindi on X.

“I pray to Mother Ganga, Mother Yamuna and Mother Saraswati for the well-being of all,” he added. The Home Minister noted that the Maha Kumbh is fostering a sense of unity among the countrymen and enhancing pride in Sanatan traditions. “At the Sangam banks, I performed rituals with my family and prayed for the prosperity and progress of the nation,” he said. After the rituals at the Sangam, the Shah family visited the Akshayvata, circumambulated the sacred tree and offered prayers, with Adityanath by its side. The Akshayavata is an ancient tree that has mythological significance for Hindus.