PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 24 -- The fourth major bathing festival, Basant Panchami, at the ongoing 44-day annual religious fair concluded on Friday, witnessing an unprecedented turnout of 3.58 crore devotees at the holy Sangam in Prayagraj. Officials stated that this figure surpassed all previous Basant Panchami records for the event, including the turnout recorded during previous Maha Kumbh Mela editions. According to official records, this year's turnout significantly exceeded the 2.57 crore devotees who took the holy dip on Basant Panchami during the last Maha Kumbh gathering. Figures released by the Mela administration showed a steady surge in crowds throughout the day: the pilgrim count touched 1.03 crore by 8 am, reached 1.40 crore by 10 am, climbed to 2.40 crore by noon and rose further to 2.90 crore by 2 pm. The count then reached 3.20 crore by 4 pm. The final count of devotees who performed the ritual bath touched 3.58 crore by 8 pm. Mela officer Rishi Raj confirmed that despite the cold weather, the flow of pilgrims remained constant, and the entire bathing process passed off without a single untoward incident. The ritual began late Thursday night, with the auspicious period starting at 1:17 am on Friday and continuing until 12:08 am Saturday. All prominent seers, including Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanand Saraswati of Puri, took a holy dip at the Sangam. The ritual bath was also performed by the Kalpavasi devotees, the saints of the Kinnar Akhara, and all the Dandi Swami, Ramanandi and Ramanujacharya sects. To manage the crowd, authorities implemented periodic diversions towards Jhunsi. Personnel from Sangam police station, deployed at the Mahavir Marg-Sangam Upper Marg intersection, guided incoming devotees across the Mahavir pontoon bridge. Mela officer Rishi Raj monitored crowd movement in real time through control room visuals on his mobile phone, ensuring the timely execution of the diversion plan. Throughout the day, a helicopter showered flower petals over pilgrims at various ghats, adding to the spiritual fervour of the occasion. Following the dispute involving Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand during the previous Mauni Amavasya bath, the administration adopted additional precautionary measures this time. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath also posted photographs of the Sangam on social media platform X. "Hearty congratulations to all the devotees who are fortunate enough to take a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami," he wrote, praying that the sacred bath prove auspicious and fulfilling for all....