India News | Prayagraj: Devotees Brave Dense Fog to Attend Morning Ganga Aarti at Maha Kumbh Mela

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 19 (ANI): Despite the chilly weather and dense fog, a large number of devotees gathered at the sacred Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj to witness the morning Ganga Aarti on the seventh day of the Maha Kumbh Mela.

The Aarti, a hallmark of devotional celebration along the Ganga ghats, was performed by priests holding huge lighted oil lamps, while the river Ganga was worshipped by offering flowers and diyas.

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The minimum temperature forecasted for the day is 11.0 degrees while the maximum temperature will go up to 23.0 degrees.

India Meteorological Department Scientist Dr Soma Sen Roy also said that fog conditions are likely over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and North Rajasthan on the morning of January 19.

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In Prayagraj, where Maha Kumbh is being held, fog conditions are expected to persist till 20 January, she added.

"Dense fog conditions were realised in Punjab, Haryana, UP, and over Rajasthan, this morning, with visibility of less than 50 metres... Our forecast for tomorrow morning (19 January) is that fog conditions are likely over Punjab, Haryana, UP, and North Rajasthan," Roy told ANI.

She said that the day after tomorrow (20 January), distribution as well as intensity of fog is likely to decrease.

"Over the Western Himalayan region, rainfall is likely to continue for the next 5 days. It will increase from 21 January and peak around 22-23 January. Over the plains, rainfall is likely to start on 22 January and continue into 23 January. Along with this, temperatures will rise, we may also get some thunderstorm activity, and fog conditions will significantly reduce," she said.

"Over South India, we are expecting heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu today, and heavy rainfall over Kerala and Tamil Nadu tomorrow... In Prayagraj, we are expecting fog conditions till 20 January. Subsequently, temperatures are likely to rise slightly over #MahaKumbh2025 in Prayagraj," she added.

Despite the cold conditions, devotees are flocking to Triveni Sangam and over 1.7 million pilgrims visited the Mahakumbh Mela on Sunday as of 8 AM, according to official data released by the Uttar Pradesh government.

On the seventh day of the Maha Kumbh, among a congregation of over 1.7 million devotees gathered at the Sangam Triveni, 10 lakh Kalpvasis and 7.02 lakh pilgrims took a holy dip by 8 AM.

As of January 18, more than 77.2 million pilgrims have taken a dip at the Sangam Triveni during the Maha Kumbh 2025. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)