The don was renamed as Prakashanand Giri by the seers who introduced themselves as being associated with the Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara, headquartered in Haridwar and has its ashrams in the Kumaon region.
Smriti Irani also tweeted a picture of her holy dip, with the caption "Har Har Gange".
The Purna Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, considered to be the world's largest religious gathering, is nearing its end. The four-month long affair will end with the Vaisakh Aadhimaas Purnima Snan on April 28.
The Kumbh Mela is expected to draw close to 100 million visitors in all, including pilgrims, politicians, celebrities and corporate leaders, from around the world.
Social distancing norms were violated openly by the seers when they and their followers descended the steps at Har ki Pairi to wade into the river.
Rediff.com takes a look at the devout flock that attends the Simhastha Kumbh Mela to take a dip into the holy waters and purify themselves.
The ancient Ganga-Godavari-temple on the bank of river Godavari was later closed till next Kumbh mela to be held in 2027-28.
The project worth about Rs 5,000 crore is underway with assistance from the World Bank.
When Haridwar teems with the kumbh pilgrims, it is time for the business unusual in the holy city.
Recently, Hindu religious seers had threatened to boycott the ceremonial Kumbh snan if the Ganga was not clean.
Actor Gautam Rode gets ready for his new epic show.
She wanted to take a dip in the Shipra river in Ujjain and had secured an order from a court in Dewas district.
Here's what your favourite Bollywood celebrities are tweeting.
Violators will have to pay a Rs 2,000 fine for the first offence and Rs 5,000 if they defy this order for the second time, Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday.
Sharat Pradhan meets Raja Ram Tiwari who runs the 'Bhule Bhatke' camp at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad that has been zealously re-uniting missing people with their loved ones.
Consumer companies see Rs 1,500-crore sales opportunity.
Sangam refers to the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
The Kumbh Mela police has registered a case against a foreign photographer and a helicopter company for taking photographs from a chopper which flew dangerously close to people at the Mela on Sunday, police said on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday rejected the resignation of Cabinet Minister Mohammad Azam Khan as the chief of Kumbh Mela Organising Committee.
A day after Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Maha Kumbh in Allahabad was cancelled for want of security clearance, a Buddhist outfit claimed the Tibetan spiritual leader will arrive at the congregation on Tuesday.
The much-anticipated visit of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to the ongoing Maha Kumbh has been finally called off despite security clearance given by the Uttar Pradesh government for his two-day visit.
The last auspicious day of the ongoing Kumbh Mela was full of action
Yet another fire broke out at the Kumbh Mela area in Allahabad on Saturday afternoon, injuring two sadhus, an official said.
The blaze began in the Goredau Ashram set up by Mahant Avadhbihari Das in the Ankpaat area off Mangalnath Road in Ujjain.
'The government is of the view that distilleries around Hapur and Bijnor would pollute groundwater in the vicinity and its spill over into the sacred Ganga. Hence, we are looking to close these distilleries to prevent them from discharging water into the open area,' said a senior UP government official.
The inclusion of those who were reportedly responsible for the stampede that killed 36 people at Allahabad station during the Kumbh Mela, in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's entourage to Harvard has raised eyebrows. Sharat Pradhan reports
Ahead of the Kumbh Mela from January-March 2019 at Prayag, the tanneries have been asked to shut down to stop discharge of effluents into the Ganga.
The mahants and sadhus of Shaiva sects will take the snan in Kushavarta Teerth, housing one of the 12 jyotirlingas.
This follows Monday night's blast in a BEST bus in Ghatkopar, Mumbai.
Simhastha Kumbh Mela, the largest congregation of faith in the world, began on Tuesday with the traditional ceremony of hoisting of flags and thousands of people taking a holy dip in Kushawart and Ramkund in Godavari river in the two towns.
A breach in an embankment along the Ganga caused by recent heavy rainfall which threatened to inundate a large area and affect Maha Kumbh pilgrims in Allahabad, has been plugged by a 60-member team of Army's Red Eagle Division who worked through the night averting a disaster.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Sunday said that a Comptroller Auditor General inquiry should be conducted into expenditure made during Maha Kumbh Mela at Allahabad.
Hours after the Sunday night's tragic stampede in Allahabad, which claimed 36 lives and left 30 injured, Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minster Azam Khan stepped down as the chairman of the Kumbh Mela committee.
No official estimate is available about the number of sadhvis and sanyasins at the Haridwar Kumbh Mela, but there is no dearth of women who have left their families behind and 'surrendered themselves to God's service'.
The film's lead actors -- Emraan Hashmi and Huma Qureshi -- accompanied Ekta.
A fire broke out at the Maha Kumbh congregation in Allahabad on Friday, injuring at least 19 people, some of them seriously, and gutting a couple of pandals, officials said.
Braving scorching heat, a multitude of sadhus along with their disciples chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' took 'shahi snan' (royal bath) at Ramghat in Shipra river in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Friday.
Rediff.com takes a look at the grand preparations ahead of the mega festival, just 16 days away, as pilgrims and god-men have already started congregating at the holy site.
In signs of easing of situation, the water levels of Adyar and Kumbh rivers have fallen considerably following reduced discharge from reservoirs on Thursday night.
