Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath | Photo Credit: PTI

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that Akshayvat and Saraswati Koop, located inside the Akbar fort, will now be open to devotees to offer prayers. Yogi announced on Sunday that both Akshayvat and Saraswati Koop will be accessible to public starting Kumbh next year and will remain open after the religious event as well.

The Chief Minister further announced that statues of Rishi Bhardwaj and Saraswati would also be built inside the fort located in Prayagraj (Allahabad).

"This is the first time Akshayvat and Saraswati Koop will be opened during the Kumbh Mela. Mughal emperor Akbar commissioned a fort there and that's why people were not able to offer prayers there," Yogi was quoted as saying.

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“They will remain open not only during Kumbh but even after the event gets over in March next year on daily basis,” the CM said while speaking at the inauguration of Yuva Kumbh in Lucknow.

“This Kumbh will be a symbol of humanity and social harmony. Prayagraj ka itihaas hazaron hazaron varshon ka hai (Praygraj's history spans over thousands of years). The forthcoming Kumbh in Prayagraj does not discriminate between people,” said Yogi, as per The Times of India.

The UP CM further said the Kumbh Mela, due to take place next year, will witness the largest gathering of people. Yogi said it is the first time that the UNESCO has recognised Kumbh Mela as the biggest cultural event.