Haridwar, Aug. 12 -- An all-time record 48 million Kanwariyas arrived in Haridwar during this year's 14-day Shravan Kanwar yatra, which concluded on Tuesday, making it the biggest-ever Kanwar mela in the sacred city, officials said. The footfall was accompanied by an exceptional surge during the final two days of the pilgrimage. As many as 6.36 million devotees arrived in Haridwar on Monday alone to collect holy Ganga water, which they carried back to their respective towns and villages to offer to Shiva lingams on Sawan Shivratri. The annual Kanwar fair, which began on July 30, concluded on Tuesday with the observance of Sawan Shivratri. Hundreds of thousands of Kanwariyas were seen offering holy Ganga water at Shiva temples and shrines. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "Saluting the magnificent display of faith. Nearly 50 million Shiva devotees visited Haridwar during this year's Kanwar yatra. Heartfelt gratitude and greetings to all the Shiva devotees from across the country who participated in the successful and well-organised Kanwar Mela 2026...The arrival of such a vast number of pilgrims reflects their unwavering reverence for Lord Shiva and their trust in Uttarakhand's traditions of service and hospitality. The contributions of the administration, police, health department, disaster management teams, sanitation workers, voluntary organisations, religious and social institutions, and local citizens in ensuring the safety and smooth conduct of this massive gathering were truly commendable." According to Haridwar senior superintendent of police Navneet Singh Bhullar, 48 million Kanwariyas arrived in Haridwar between July 30 and August 11, surpassing the previous record of 45.2 million devotees recorded during last year's fair. "A record 48 million Kanwariyas arrived in Haridwar from various parts of the country. Even on Tuesday afternoon, Kanwariyas were continuing to arrive, so the exact figure may be slightly higher by late evening," Bhullar said. Data compiled by the Kanwar Mela Cell showed that 45.2 million devotees participated in the pilgrimage in 2025, compared with 41.4 million in 2024 and 40.7 million in 2023. The latest figure therefore marks a substantial increase over the previous record and underscores the growing scale of the annual pilgrimage. Bhullar said the pilgrimage was conducted successfully, with more than 6,000 Uttarakhand Police personnel deployed along with personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces, Provincial Armed Constabulary, Indian Reserve Battalion and the Anti-terrorist Squad, among other units. The security and crowd-management arrangements were aimed at ensuring the safe movement of devotees, maintaining traffic flow and preventing untoward incidents during the peak days of the pilgrimage. Following the successful conclusion of the Kanwar fair, Haridwar district magistrate Mayur Dixit and SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar performed rituals at the sanctum sanctorum of Brahmakund at Har-ki-Pauri on Tuesday. They collected holy Ganga water and subsequently offered it at the revered ancient Shri Daksheshwar Mahadev temple in Kankhal on the occasion of Sawan Shivratri....