The fog was thick, the cold intense and the waters freezing as the Maha Kumbh, the world's largest gathering, began on Monday with 1.5 crore people taking a dip in the Sangam in their quest for moksha and the belief it will cleanse their sins.
Spirituality and astrology, culture and religion, tradition and modern-day technology it all fused into one in the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati in Prayagraj.
More than 40 crore people, including many from abroad, are expected over 45 days in the mela being held after 12 years.
Besides, seers claim the celestial permutations and combinations for the event are taking place after 144 years, making the occasion even more auspicious for the faithful.
And so it was that a sea of people converged in Prayagraj for the fabled Maha Kumbh.
Ash smeared sadhus from their abode in the Himalayas, the religious from across the country and abroad and those just curious to take in the sights and sounds of the biggest religious spectacle of all, the Maha Kumbh beckoned them all.
Thirteen Akharas of seers from different sects are participating in the Maha Kumbh.
And as the famed mela formally began in the darkness of pre-dawn on the occasion of Paush Purnima' to the sound of conch shells and bhajans, the excitement was palpable in the sprawling Sangam area as devotees -- mostly in groups -- walked towards the waters chanting Jai Ganga Maiyya, Har Har Mahadev and Jai Shri Ram.
Former US Army soldier-turned-ascetic Michael joined the Juna Akhara and is now known as 'Baba Mokshapuri'.
Sharing his journey of transformation, he said, "I was an ordinary man with a family and career. But I realised that nothing in life is permanent, so I embarked on a quest for salvation. This is my first Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, and the spiritual vibes are extraordinary."
"I practise yoga in Brazil, I have come here for 'moksha'. This one is very special, once in 144 years. India is like the spiritual height of the world. Sanatan Dharma is my mission of life and it changed my life, it changed the way I see the world, my family. Jai Shri Ram," added a devotee from Brazil.
Also in the teeming crowd was Julie from Spain.
"I am feeling grateful for this opportunity to dive into the sacred river here at the sacred point. I am fulfilled with bliss," she said.
In his message on the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X that Maha Kumbh brings together countless people in a sacred confluence of faith, devotion and culture.
"The Maha Kumbh embodies India's timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony," he said.
A group of women from Uttar Pradesh's Siddharth Nagar was busy singing folk songs.
And there was a team of YouTubers from South Korea capturing various shots of the Maha Kumbh as was a team from Japan. Contingents from states across India were seen too at various ghats of Prayagraj.
Appreciating the arrangements made for the devotees, Kailash Narayan Shukla from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh said, "Good arrangements were made for the pilgrims and we had no problems in taking the holy dip."
"Given the massive numbers of people, there were those who got inevitably separated from their groups -- a recall in another era of a favourite Hindi film trope of siblings getting separated in the Kumbh Mela. The times have changed, however. The Uttar Pradesh government implemented several crowd-control initiatives, including 'Bhula-Bhatka' camps, police assistance centres and deployment of personnel on specially constructed watchtowers. Within the first couple of hours itself, more than 250 individuals got lost' but were found' thanks to efforts by the administration," officials said.
Ajay Goyal, a pilgrim from Delhi, shared his experience of being separated for an hour. "Just before we got separated, we had joked about how this often happens at Kumbh Melas in old Bollywood films. Luckily, we were reunited within the same Mela itself," Goyal said.
Sharing the numbers on X, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a post on X, "On the first bathing festival today, 1.50 crore Sanatan believers earned the holy benefit of bathing in the uninterrupted and clean Triveni."
It is a massive logistical exercise for the government.
"Spanning 10,000 acres, the event will set an exemplary standard for cleanliness, security, and modernity. To enhance the convenience of devotees, a digital tourist map will facilitate monitoring the cleanliness of toilets, while an AI-powered security system integrated with smartphones will ensure safety," the chief minister said earlier.
Mahakumbh Nagar is the world's world's largest temporary city, accommodating 50 lakh to 1 crore devotees at any given time, Adityanath said.
According to Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, more than 55 police stations have been set up and 45,000 police personnel are being deployed for the fair.
As many as 30 pontoon bridges, both in the Sangam area and Phaphamau, have also been readied to facilitate the movement of people from one end of the confluence to the other.
Prayagraj district magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar told PTI that sector-wise ghats have been made for smooth conduct of the bathing ritual.
The first of the shahi snans', royal baths, takes place on Tuesday, Makar Sankranti, when the numbers taking a dip in the waters are expected to rise.
The last of the snans' will be on Mahashivratri on February 26.
The origins of the Kumbh Mela go back in the folds of time.
The Rigveda speaks of a divine event called the "Sagar Manthan" or churning of the cosmic ocean, which is considered the genesis of the Maha Kumbh Mela, according to the website kumbh.gov.in.
Legend has it that during this cosmic churning, a pot (Kumbh) containing the elixir of immortality (amrita) emerged.
The celestial struggle for possession led to a battle that spanned 12 days, equivalent to 12 human years.
Drops of the nectar fell at four locations, Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nashik and Haridwar, where the Kumbh Mela is celebrated.
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