Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday congratulated ministers, officials and sanitation workers for making the Kumbh Mela -- the world's largest gathering of religious pilgrims -- a successful event. The chief minister also announced an award -- Kumbh Seva Medal -- for security personnel deployed at the event which was held here from January 14 to March 4.
"More than 24 crore people have taken the holy dip in the Sangam till now. The Kumbh held at Prayagraj (the new name for Allahabad) will always be remembered for many reasons across the globe, especially for innovations used for cleanliness," Adityanath said.
He said this was the first time that event had a logo with a tagline -- Sarvasiddhiprad Kumbh. Moreover, for the first time, "over 6,000 organisations participated in the Kumbh Mela", the chief minister said.
He said to honour the tradition and culture of India, representatives of 193 countries attended the event.
The chief minister said that "a lot more things have happened in this Kumbh Mela for the first time like more than 3,000 Non-Resident Indians took the holy dip in Sangam."
Devotees also got an opportunity for the first time to see the Akshay Vat after 450 years, he said Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath said that under his guidance the Kumbh Mela has made its presence felt globally.
"For the first time, with the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UNESCO recognised Kumbh as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity," he said.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik also spoke on this occasion, and congratulated the chief minister for the successful Kumbh.