Maha Kumbh 2025: Man dressed as Lord Hanuman captivates the crowd in Prayagraj

At the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Ranjan Kumar, dressed as Lord Hanuman, captured the attention of the devotees on Monday.

Kumar, who considers himself a devoted follower of Lord Hanuman, expressed his joy about the attention he was receiving.

#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP: Ranjan Kumar says, "I am dressed up as Lord Hanuman. I am feeling very good and people are taking selfies with me...I am a devotee of Lord Hanuman..."#MahaKumbhMela2025 https://t.co/97VO9GrA6u pic.twitter.com/rHKfUrTIiO

— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2025

In a conversation with ANI, he stated, "I am a big devotee of Lord Hanuman. I am feeling very good that people are coming and taking selfies with me."

Meanwhile, following a fire incident that took place at the Mahakumbh on Sunday, Avinash Chandra, DG Fire, provided updates on the ongoing investigation. He clarified that the police were handling the case and would be leading the investigation, despite circulating rumors. "The police have the right to investigate this incident. Local police authorities are at it. There are many rumours but the exact reason would be revealed after the investigation," he said.

Chandra also assured the public about the extensive fire safety measures implemented at the event. "In the entire Kumbh area, fire safety has been taken with great sincerity. 53 fire stations and 20 fire posts have been built, and more than 1300 firemen have been deployed. More than 300 vehicles have been deployed. We will strengthen it even further," he mentioned. He further explained that Mahakumbh has significantly more fire stations and personnel compared to many other large districts. "The magnitude is so big that there are nine fire stations in the entire Prayagraj district, and there are 53 fire stations and 20+ fire posts in Mahakumbh alone," he added.

Regarding response times, Chandra noted that fire services could reach emergencies within three to four minutes. "Our response time is around three minutes. All the devotees who want to come here should come without any worry, we will provide them with infallible fire and police arrangements," he reassured.

The fire, which was caused by an explosion of three cooking gas cylinders, resulted in no casualties. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the scene and interacted with the fire and police teams to review the situation.