According to eyebrow-raising figures from the Uttar Pradesh state government, more than 640 million worshippers took part in the festival, a staggering statistic even for the world’s most populous nation of 1.4 billion people.
Just on Wednesday, more than eight million devotees were reported to have shrugged off stomach-churning faecal matter measurements to immerse themselves in sacred river waters.
Authorities say the attendee estimates have been calculated using artificial intelligence and surveillance cameras, but the figures are impossible to independently verify.
The festival was marred by a deadly stampede on January 29 that killed at least 30 people and injured 90 others.
Officials insisted for hours that no one was seriously injured, despite graphic television footage from the scene.
Another 18 people died this month during a stampede at the main railway station in New Delhi when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to Prayagraj.
