PRAYAGRAJ, Jan. 8 -- Leaving behind the comforts of their home, thousands of pilgrims have temporarily settled for a month near the Sangam banks in Prayagraj to spend the days in austerity as Kalpwasis. Apart from the elderly, the youths too have shown similar enthusiasm this time in performing Kalpawas at the ongoing 44-day Magh Mela-2026. Even the biting cold, icy winds, and low temperatures have failed to deter their unwavering faith. Kalpawas is a rigorous tradition in which participants renounce all worldly comforts, live in tents on the riverbank, and follow strict routines of meditation, conduct, and diet for an entire month-from Paush Purnima (January 3) to Magh Purnima (February 1). Those who commit to Kalpawas traditionally observe it for 12 consecutive years, making the vow both rare and revered. Among the seasoned devotees is 78-year-old Shambhu Nath Pandey of Phulpur, observing his 17th consecutive Kalpawas, relying on a wooden stick for mobility but performing daily rituals with unflagging devotion. Similarly, 76-year-old Shakuntala Devi from Janghai, Jaunpur, is observing her seventh Kalpawas with her husband, waking up at Brahma Muhurta for the Ganga snan and spending the day in prayers, devotional singing, and discourse, braving the harsh winter nights on straw bedding in the camp. What is particularly striking this year is the visible participation of youth, signaling a revival of spiritual engagement among the younger generation. Swami Shankarashram, head of the Dandi Sannyasi Parishad, observes: "Post-Mahakumbh-2025, we are seeing more 18-35-year-olds joining Kalpawas. They are taking dips in the Sangam, performing rituals, adorning the sacred tilak, and participating in service-demonstrating a renewed interest in Sanatan Dharma alongside the elders." To accommodate the growing number of Kalpawasis, the Magh Mela authorities have set up Prayagwal Nagar over 960 bighas, managed meticulously by temple priests, where over 400,000 devotees are now immersed in austere devotion, forming a striking tableau of faith across generations. A youngster Abhimanyu Singh has come from Mogra Badshahpur in Jaunpur along with his grandfather, Hari Sharan Singh (76). At 26, Abhimanyu has completed his BA and is now preparing for government services. "For me, the Kalpawas is a new and unique experience. But I am loving it. Living a simple life, having simple meals, spending time with spiritual leaders and hearing their sermons, praying daily with family members and taking dip in the Ganga have given a new meaning to the daily lives that we lead," he shared. Sujay Tiwari, 21, who is accompanying his grandfather Brijbhushan from Madaripur in Fatehpur, is also observing the Kalpawas. Sujay, who is studying law at Allahabad University, had come to the Mahakumbh with his grandfather earlier, and this year too, he is participating in the Kalpawas alongside him....