PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 16 -- Nearly 1.03 crore devotees took a holy dip at the Sangam on Thursday, the second day of the second official bathing of Makar Sankranti of the ongoing Magh Mela. According to figures released by the Mela administration, by 4 pm, around 91 lakh devotees had bathed at the sacred Triveni confluence. Over the two days of the second official bathing, the total count touched nearly 2 crore. Pilgrims continued to arrive throughout the day and into the evening, and most are expected to stay in the mela area until the next major bathing event of Mauni Amavasya on January 18.

Officials had anticipated a massive turnout for this Magh Mela, the first after the grand success of Mahakumbh 2025. The count of devotees who had taken ...