Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs worship at the Sangam, in Prayagraj.
Credit: PTI Photo
Prayagraj: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Friday and performed a puja at the Sangam Nose before he launches development projects worth Rs 5,500 crore to improve the city's infrastructure and amenities for the 2025 Maha Kumbh.
The prime minister began the visit with the ceremonial puja and darshan at the holy Sangam -- the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the Saraswati rivers. Modi undertook a river cruise before the puja.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also present with the prime minister at the puja.
The 2025 Maha Kumbh mela will be held from January 13 (Paush Poornima) to February 26 (Maha Shivratri) at Prayagraj. The Maha Kumbh is organised every 12 years.
According to Prayagraj-based Ashutosh Varshney, the convenor of Raam Naam Bank, millions of pilgrims come together to participate in the bathing ritual at the Triveni Sangam during the Kumbh Mela.
It is firmly rooted in belief that by immersing oneself in the holy waters, one can cleanse himself/herself of all sins, liberate themselves and their ancestors from the cycle of rebirth, and ultimately attain moksha, spiritual liberation.
In addition to the bathing ritual, pilgrims also perform worship along the banks and actively participate in enlightening discourses led by various sadhus and saints, Varshney said.