Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), January 19: Despite the biting cold and dense fog, thousands 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 key ritual at the Ganga ghats, saw priests performing prayers with large oil lamps while offering flowers and diyas to the river Ganga.
With temperatures ranging from a low of 11°C to a high of 23°C, foggy conditions continued to affect large parts of northern India, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and North Rajasthan. India Meteorological Department Scientist Dr. Soma Sen Roy noted that dense fog, with visibility dropping below 50 meters, was reported in these regions on January 19. She also indicated that fog conditions in Prayagraj are expected to persist until January 20.
“The intensity of fog will decrease after January 20, and temperatures will rise slightly,” Dr. Roy said, adding that rainfall is forecast to intensify in the Western Himalayan region from January 21, with thunderstorms expected to reduce fog in the plains by January 23.
In the midst of the fog, over 1.7 million pilgrims had visited the Maha Kumbh Mela by 8 AM on Sunday, with 10 lakh Kalpvasis and 7.02 lakh other devotees taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam. As of January 18, more than 77.2 million devotees have bathed in the sacred waters during the ongoing Maha Kumbh 2025.