Raipur (Chhattisgarh), February 13 (HBTV): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced that he, along with his Council of Ministers, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Governor, Members of Parliament (MPs), and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), will travel to Prayagraj on Thursday to take a holy dip at the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela 2025.

Speaking to reporters, CM Sai expressed his gratitude to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Speaker of the UP Legislative Assembly for inviting them to the Mahakumbh.

‘Our Council of Ministers, Speaker of our Legislative Assembly, the Governor, MPs, and MLAs will all be visiting Prayagraj to take a holy dip in the Mahakumbh. I am thankful to UP CM Yogi Adityanath and the Speaker of the UP Assembly for inviting us,’ said CM Sai.

Kaushalya Sai, the wife of CM Sai, also shared her thoughts, saying she would pray for the well-being and prosperity of Chhattisgarh. ‘We are going to the Mahakumbh to seek blessings from Maa Ganga, to gain more energy to serve the state. I will pray for the state of Chhattisgarh,’ she said.

Meanwhile, the administration reported that the 'snan' for Magh Purnima concluded successfully on Wednesday. Urban Development Department Secretary Anuj Jha called the completion of the Magh Purnima snan a significant milestone.

‘The snan of Maghi Purnima has concluded successfully. It is a huge milestone for us. Lakhs of Kalpavasis and crores of pilgrims have visited here in the last month. Urban Development was the nodal department, and all the arrangements were made efficiently,’ Jha told ANI.

As of February 11, 2025, the total number of devotees who have performed the snan since the beginning of the festival exceeded 462.5 million. Officials expect the footfall to increase as the Mahakumbh progresses, with several more auspicious bathing dates ahead.

Uttar Pradesh's Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar elaborated on the arrangements made for the Magh Purnima snan and explained that lessons learned from the Mauni Amavasya mishap were incorporated into the management plans.

‘This is the fifth snan of Maha Kumbh 2025. The snan for Maha Shivratri will take place after this. A mishap occurred during Mauni Amavasya. We have learned from it and implemented new techniques. The management technique of 'Build Back Better' was adopted, and we also took community feedback to improve our arrangements,’ said DGP Kumar.

Mahakumbh 2025, which began on Paush Purnima (January 13, 2025), is the world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe. The grand event will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26.

(ANI)