India, Jan. 26 -- The rising rate of arrival of devotees in large numbers from all over the country in Mahakumbh Nagar is posing a challenge to mela administration.

Official records revealed on Sunday itself by 4pm (16 hours), a whopping 1.17 crore devotees took the holy dip in Sangam bringing the hourly average to 6.25 lakh.

On Sunday, city roads leading to the tent city remained choked with vehicles arriving from different states, forcing pilgrims to walk nearly 6 to 8 kilometres to reach the Sangam, with 550 shuttle buses pressed into service by state government to transport

pilgrims from different entry points of district to tent city, getting exhausted.

Devotees in large numbers kept pouring in all through the intervening night o...