GUWAHATI: The world's largest congregation of religious pilgrims has started in Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh. Here are a few things that you should know about Kumbh Mela:
On 15 January: The big day is the Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) and that is on 15th January. Pilgrims and tourists from all over the world are continuously reaching Prayagraj to take holi dip on the first bathing festival of Makar Sankranti on January 15 at the Sangam (confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati).
When: The Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj is held in the month of Magh of Hindu calendar when Jupiter is in Aries and Sun and Moon are in Capricorn or Jupiter is in Taurus and Sun in Capricorn.
Bathing at Kumbh: The exact dates of bathing during Kumbh are determined according to Hindu astrology.
Kumbh Mela Bathing Dates - 2019
| 15 January 2019 | Makar Sankranti |
| 21 January 2019 | Paush Purnima |
| 04 February 2019 | Mauni Amavasya |
| 10 February 2019 | Basant Panchami |
| 19 February 2019 | Maghi Purnima |
| 04 March 2019 | Maha Shivratri |
Footfall: About 12 crore pilgrims and tourists are expected during the Kumbh. There is no precise method of ascertaining the number of pilgrims. An estimated 120 million people visited Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013 in Allahabad over a two-month period, including over 30 million pilgrims on a single day, on 10 February 2013.
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Area at Praygarj Kumbh 2019: The mela is spread over in 3200 hectares of land. This time, 700 hectares area has been added compared to the 2013 Maha Kumbh.
How to reach: Air connectivity from different major cities including New Delhi,Kolkata, Nagpur, Bhopal, Dehradun, Indore, Bengaluru, Ahmadabad and Lucknow to Prayagraj.
Indian Railways have introduced special trains from different parts of the country. Most of the long route trains have been given stoppage at Allahabad junction and other railway stations located in Prayagraj district.
Finding Accommodation: Pilgrims and tourists can book tents as per their needs and budget online through the Kumbh Mela website. The mela administration has set up 87 public accommodations (Dormitories) at minimal rates for those coming from outside. Other agencies have also developed high-quality tent cities with all modern amenities to the tourists.
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Ghats: An eight-kilometre-long bathing ghat has been developed at Sangam for holy dip and similarly several other ghats are also developed on the banks of river Ganga in different sectors of the Mela.