The 2025 Kumbh Mela in Kashi witnessed an unprecedented surge in spiritual fervor and faith, setting a historical record. Over 2.45 crore (24.5 million) pilgrims visited the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham in 45 days to pay their respects.
Benaras: The 2025 Kumbh Mela in Kashi created a wave of spiritual devotion and faith that established a historical record. In 45 days, more than 2.45 crore pilgrims visited Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham. On the sacred day of Mahashivratri, an immense tide of faith was witnessed, with over 11.69 lakh (1.169 million) devotees present at the shrine on a single day. To accommodate the devotees, the temple administration extended the Shayan Aarti by two hours, until 1 AM.
Devotee Numbers Increased Immensely During Each Bathing Festival
Following the sacred bath at the Sangam in Prayagraj during the Kumbh Mela, lakhs of pilgrims journeyed to Kashi. Specifically, after the Maghi Purnima bath, 8.26 lakh pilgrims visited Baba Vishwanath on February 13th. The following day, February 14th, over 7.32 lakh devotees were present at the shrine. The number of pilgrims in Kashi continued to increase on each weekend, religious festival, and holiday.
Record-Breaking Mahashivratri
The Mahashivratri festival, towards the end of the Kumbh Mela, created new history. On February 18th, over 11.69 lakh devotees visited Baba Vishwanath, the highest number for a single day to date. On the following day, more than 6.05 lakh pilgrims visited until 9 PM. According to the temple administration, many pilgrims could not reach the inner sanctum due to the immense crowd, but they completed their pilgrimage by bathing in the Ganges and viewing the temple's spire. Even with this, the total number of pilgrims reached over 2.45 crore.
Administration on High Alert Due to the Massive Crowd of Devotees
Due to the continuously increasing number of pilgrims, the temple administration and district administration implemented additional measures. Besides extending the Shayan Aarti, several pathways were opened to better manage the darshan system within the temple complex. Security measures were also strengthened to ensure the devotees could have a smooth darshan experience.
The 2025 Kumbh Mela enriched not only Prayagraj but also Kashi and Ayodhya with spiritual energy. This immense devotion in Kashi reaffirms Baba Vishwanath's shrine as a central point of faith for devotees worldwide.
