US EditionPhotos show devotees taking a holy dip at Sangam during Mauni Amavasya festival in India
- On Jan 18, 2026, Mauni Amavasya was observed at the Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj, with devotees taking holy dips during the Magh Mela, a 45-day pilgrimage that began on Paush Purnima.
- Mythology underpins the festival, noting Mauni Amavasya involves fasting, ancestor rites, and donations believed to bring auspicious results, linked to the Soma Dhobin myth and 108 circumambulations.
- Magh Mela officer Rishi Raj said organisers built ghats over three and a half kilometres with ICCC monitoring, changing rooms, a PA system, water police, lifeguards and RAF deployed.
- Local vendors and stall owners benefit as the Mela functions as a bustling hub with stalls selling food and puja items, and organisers say they will update crowd figures as numbers grow despite cold nights.
- As a centuries-old pilgrimage, the Magh Mela hosts festivals like Makar Sankranti, Basant Panchami, and Mahasivaratri, while photographs capture aerial imagery at the Triveni Sangam, a kinnar saint blessing a child, and priests performing ceremonial aarti.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Idaho Press
Photos show devotees taking a holy dip at Sangam during Mauni Amavasya festival in India
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
In Pictures: Ceremonies for the Magh Mela in Prayagraj
Ceremonies for the Magh Mela, which began on January 3, have been drawing crores of devotees to the Triveni Sangam for a holy dip; a footfall of 15-20 crore is expected by the culmination of the festival on Mahasivaratri; pilgrims offer prayers amid tight security arrangements and bustling crowds
Mauni Amavasya 2026: The word 'Mauni' means one who observes silence. Observing a silent fast on this day calms restlessness and purifies the mind. Fasting, meditating, and chanting on this day bring auspicious results.
Mauni Amavasya Vrat Katha: Reciting this vrat katha brings peace, prosperity, and relief from troubles
Mauni Amavasya is one of the major festivals of Hinduism. Falling in the month of Magh, Mauni Amavasya is also known as Maghi or Magh Amavasya. On this day, people take holy dips in sacred rivers, observe fasts, perform rituals for their ancestors, and give donations after bathing. Religious acts performed on this day are believed to bring auspicious results. This year, Mauni Amavasya falls on January 18. Let us share with you the vrat (fasting)…
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