Here Is Your Entire Route To The Sangam Ghat And Everything Along The Way

Considered the largest spiritual gathering on Earth, the Maha Kumbh 2025 began on 13 January in the city of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

This once-in-144-year event, steeped in centuries-old traditions, will continue until 26 February 2025, drawing nearly 40 crore devotees and pilgrims from around the world.

The second day, the occasion of Makar Sankranti (14 January), marked the first Shahi Snan of the festival.

Lakhs of saints and devotees gathered to seek blessings and purification through the sacred ritual of the holy dip on the banks of the Triveni Sangam — the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the Saraswati rivers.

According to mela authorities, the first two days alone were expected to witness over two crore pilgrims, with numbers only increasing during the subsequent Shahi Snan.

For this grand congregation, a temporary city has been built across 4,000 hectares.

Divided into 25 sectors, with the Ganga and Yamuna rivers flowing between them, the city has been constructed over the past two months, following nearly two years of continuous planning and preparations.

To help visualise its scale, the temporary city is approximately 1.5 times the size of historically planned Lutyens’ Delhi, or a third of Chandigarh city, or nearly double the size of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

With a history marked by tales of devotees getting lost or separated in the vast crowds, crowd management and smooth circulation remain central to the success of this festival.

This time again, a network of ghats has been developed along the Ganga and Yamuna rivers for the sacred ritual of bathing. With this, multiple entrances and connecting pathways are planned for easy circulation to various ghats.

All these routes also converge towards the Triveni Sangam ghat, where both the floating crowds and the saints staying in the akharas and ashrams, come together for the sacred experience.

This report aims to capture the essence and scale of the Mahakumbh Mela — by following one of the key pilgrim routes leading to the Sangam ghat, to present the journey from the entrance of the festival to the holy Snan.

While access by vehicles and other modes of transport remains restricted, particularly on the Shahi Snan days, pilgrims are required to travel mostly on foot, covering distances of 6 to 7 kilometers on their spiritual journey to the ghats.

For the daily visitors, one of the key entry begins from the Parade Ground junction in Prayagraj city, beyond which the vehicle entry remained restricted.

Starting on foot from there at 9:30 am, this route, known as the Kali road allowed the author and other pilgrims to enter the mela through sectors 1 and 2.

This pathway also branches off along the way leading to multiple routes that guide pilgrims either towards the Sangam ghat or to other ghats on the opposite side, in sectors 6 and 7.

According to the mela authorities, minimal activities have been planned along this pathway to prevent any blockages and ensure smooth movement for the pilgrims.

The primary focus is on an uninterrupted journey, allowing the pilgrims to proceed without delays.

The pathway along Kali Road leads to a parking lot on the right, for use on days when entry for vehicles is permitted up to this point.

However, most pilgrims continue their journey on foot, as the road begins to slope upwards.

Directional signboards along the way help guide the pilgrims, showing the path to the Sangam ghat as well as the ghat at the Nagvasuki temple.

For those arriving by vehicle, the walk from the parking area to the Nagvasuki ghat is approximately one kilometer.

Meanwhile, for those heading to the Sangam ghat, the journey continues as they approach the second grand entrance — Kachhap Dwar.

With time, as the mela arrangements have advanced, the traditional and cultural essence of the mela is still preserved through the small shops and stalls which line the pathways, offering local items, ornaments, religious articles, and more.

Various activities like camel rides and performances by ropewalkers come along the way to entertain the pilgrims.

From the other sectors, similar passageways and pontoon bridges over the Ganga converge onto this path, leading pilgrims to another grand entrance— Nandi Dwar.

Handrails have been installed along the pathways for additional support safety, and barricading during larger gatherings to control the circulation.

Sangam Ghat And The Holy Snan

After further walk from Nandi Dwar, pilgrims arrive at the Triveni Sangam ghat. The entire route, on foot took nearly 55 minutes to reach the snan ghat.

The Yamuna river is visible ahead, and on the left, the sacred Ganga river flows.

As the pilgrims approach the Sangam ghat, the first view they encounter is the confluence of the two rivers before them.

Changing rooms are placed at around every 200 metres. Several vendors, small shops also remain at the ghat.

After the Snan

After the sacred snan at the ghat, pilgrims choose to relax, perform pooja, sing bhajans, participate in aartis, and go for boat rides. While many pilgrims continue to walk to visit the akharas and ashrams located across the Ganga River.

Multiple one-way pontoon bridges have been set up. These bridges allow exits for pilgrims who have completed the holy dip and wish to visit the akharas, as well as allow the saints from the akharas to reach the Sangam ghat.

Akharas are monastic institutions or sects that bring together sadhus (ascetics) who follow specific spiritual traditions and practices.

A key aspect of the Maha Kumbh is the active participation of 13 recognised Akharas, each representing different sects of Sanatan Dharma.

At each sector, directional signboards are placed to mark the names of different margas (paths) and sectors.

With the tents and ashrams now settled, the mela authorities are also adding micro-level direction boards within the sectors to further guide pilgrims to specific akharas and ashrams.

Inside the Akharas

These akharas have multiple hutments and facilities to accommodate the saints and sadhus associated with each sect. In addition, many pilgrims find a place to stay, eat, and spend time with their gurus within these akharas and ashrams.

Inside, most saints remain deeply engaged in their daily rituals, reading sacred texts, preparing their fire pits for Yajna, and attending to their devotees who visit them.

In nearly all akharas and ashrams, food is provided for lakhs of devotees. Within the camps of saints and various organisations, large kitchens are set up with thousands of volunteers, to ensure that every pilgrim in need is fed.