The Maha Kumbh Mela is now slowly moving towards its conclusion. In view of the possibility of increasing crowd in the last week of the fair, the railways have made special arrangements. In view of the possibility of increasing number of pilgrims, 'holding areas' have been created at various railway stations. The ministry gave this information on Thursday. The railways have created these 'holding areas' (places for passengers to stay) at various stations at a time when 18 people died in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15. 

The Railway Ministry has issued a statement urging passengers to cooperate and follow official guidelines to ensure smooth and safe travel. The ministry said that the Railways has set up 'holding areas' at various stations of Northern Railway, North Central Railway, Northeast Railway and East Central Railway. These 'holding areas' have been set up outside the platform, which will help control passengers and prevent overcrowding. The ministry said, "Passengers will be allowed to enter the platform at the scheduled departure time of their train. The aim of this initiative is to improve crowd management and increase passenger safety." It said that Northern Railway has set up large-scale 'holding areas' in Ghaziabad, Anand Vihar, New Delhi, Ayodhya Dham and Banaras. Northeast Railway has also set up 'holding areas' in Banaras, Siwan, Ballia, Deoria, Chapra and Gorakhpur.

More than 55 crore devotees have taken bath

So far, more than 55 crore devotees have taken a dip in the Triveni Sangam in the Maha Kumbh Mela that began in Prayagraj on January 13. According to a statement issued by the state government, the arrival of more than 55 crore devotees is the largest participation in any religious, cultural or social event in human history. This Maha Kumbh Mela will continue till February 26 (Mahashivratri). 

The figure is expected to exceed 60 crores

An official statement said that half of India's 110 crore Sanatan followers have taken the dip and the number is expected to cross 60 crore by the final bathing ritual on February 26. According to the World Population Review, Pew Research, India's population is around 143 crore, of which 110 crore people are followers of Sanatan Dharma, the statement said. It claimed that the number of people who took the dip at the Triveni Sangam is 50 per cent of India's Sanatan followers.

More than 38 percent of the total population took a dip

The statement said that if we look at the total population of India, more than 38 percent of the country's people have taken a dip in the Sangam. It said that according to Pew Research 2024, an estimated 120 crore people around the world believe in Sanatan Dharma, which means that more than 45 percent of Sanatanis around the world have taken a dip in the Sangam. According to the statement, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had predicted the arrival of 45 crore devotees in the Maha Kumbh. Whereas by February 14, this number exceeded 50 crores and reached 55 crores on February 17. It is expected that this number of devotees taking a dip can go above 60 crores.