PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 29 -- The vision of turning Magh Mela-2026 into a "Mini Kumbh" is taking shape, as unprecedented crowds continue to throng the annual religious fair. According to the Mela Administration, over 18 crore pilgrims have taken the holy dip at the Sangam till Tuesday, and numbers are expected to rise further in the coming days. With the 44-day fair moving towards its conclusion and the last major bathing festival of Mahashivaratri scheduled for February 15, devotees are still arriving in large numbers. Crowds were particularly heavy on Tuesday and Wednesday, even though these days were neither major bathing days nor marked by any special religious occasion. Officials say pilgrims are eager to take a sacred bath before the fair ends and are appreciating the arrangements made by the administration. On January 25, around 1.5 crore devotees took a holy dip at the Sangam on the occasion of Achala Saptami - not officially a bathing festival - with bathing continuing from dawn through late evening. With Mahashivaratri still 18 days away, officials anticipate a further surge in attendance. "More than 180 million devotees have already visited and taken the holy dip at the Magh Mela till Tuesday. This is a record-breaking turnout. The arrangements made for the fair have been widely appreciated, and we expect many more pilgrims in the coming days," said Rishi Raj, Mela Officer. To mention, the Kumbh Mela 2019 saw 24 crore pilgrims taking the dip over 55 days. By contrast, the current Magh Mela spans 44 days and is an annual event. If the current trend continues, officials claim the number of devotees this year may even surpass the Kumbh 2019 figures, setting a historic record. The Maha Kumbh drew over 66.30 crore pilgrims to Sangam. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier projected a turnout of 120-150 million devotees before the Magh Mela began. While reviewing preparations, he had predicted a massive gathering. Special bathing days have already set new records, and now the overall bathing figures have reached an all-time high. According to officials, this is the first time in the history of Magh Mela that such a large number of devotees have participated....