Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Saturday took a dip in the Sangam and showered praises on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the "excellent" arrangements at the Maha Kumbh.
Speaking to reporters, he said the world would be astonished to know that the number of people who have arrived at the Maha Kumbh is almost equal to the population of the United States of America.
"This is historic... to date, so many people have never come together anywhere on the Earth. The arrangements and the work done by the administration are excellent... I am overwhelmed. I had never imagined that such an event would be organised in India," he said.
"A tragic accident had happened, but see how efficiently everything was handled," he said in Hindi, referring to the stampede in which at least 30 people were killed.
Dhankhar said Adityanath must be praised for organising a historic event and highlighted that more than one lakh toilets have been built for the Maha Kumbh and the visitors were getting top quality food.
"When I took the dip, it was the happiest moment of my life. I've realised that there is no country like India in the world. Yogi ji has shown that if you have dedication, ability, knowledge of culture and a feeling of service towards the nation, then miraculous work can be done," Dhankar said.
He also offered prayers at the Maha Kumbh and described the event as a blessing, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.
Dhankhar, along with his wife and family members, reached Prayagraj in a helicopter and was welcomed by Adityanath. He then proceeded towards Arail Ghat from where he boarded a cruise boat to take a dip in the Triveni Sangam. He also fed some birds during the ride.
Amidst the echo of Swasti recitation, Dhankhar took the dip while keeping a Shivling on his head. The chief priest of Vrindavan, Pundarik Goswami performed the 'pujan-archan' while other priests chanted hymns.
After the holy bath, Dhankhar, along with his family, paid obeisance at the Saraswati Koop, Akshay Vat and Bade Hanuman Mandir.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
