Prayagraj: On the first day of his visit to Uttar Pradesh state, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj today.

Majhi accompanied by wife Priyanka Marandi and other family members offered prayers at the Sangam and took the sacred dip during the Maha Kumbh Mela.

The Odisha Chief Minister arrived in the Uttar Pradesh State on a three-day tour today.

After taking the holy dip, Majhi said, "Today is a moment of great fortune for me as the CM of Odisha to have received this honour. The administration has made excellent arrangements, and we have performed the sacred bath at the Maha Kumbh. I pray to Goddess Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati for the well-being of the people of Odisha and the entire nation. The Uttar Pradesh Government has made excellent arrangements here.”

The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj is being held after 144 years. It is one of the largest and most important religious programmes in Hinduism.

This special occasion is considered a symbol of religious progress and liberation from sins. 

The Maha Kumbh Mela, which began on January 13, has seen millions of devotees arriving every day, with the total number surpassing 600 million.

According to the Maha Kumbh Mela administration, the number of devotees who have bathed at the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh crossed 600 million. By noon on Saturday, over 71.18 lakh devotees already bathed in the holy Triveni. The last dip of the Maha Kumbh is scheduled to take place on Maha Shivaratri, February 26.

The Prayagraj administration official sources said the highest number, nearly 80 million, bathed during Mauni Amavasya. On Makar Sankranti, 35 million devotees took the Amrit Snan. On February 1 and January 30, more than 20 million each bathed, and on Paush Purnima, 17 million devotees took the sacred dip. In addition, 25.7 million devotees bathed on Basant Panchami, while over 20 million bathed during Maghi Purnima.