Maha Kumbh logs 400 million pilgrimsKumbh

Virendra Singh Rawat

Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest congregation of faith, began at Prayagraj with an estimated 15 million pilgrims taking the holy dip today at Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers.

The Maha Kumbh Mela area, declared a temporary 76th district of Uttar Pradesh, has been secured by about 40,000 policemen and paramilitary personnel armed with modern security gadgets including Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems.

Almost 45 million pilgrims and devouts are expected to take the holy dip (ritualistic bathing) at Sangam during the inaugural two days of the Maha Kumbh 2025.

While 15 million took the holy dip on the occasion of Paush Purnima today, about 30 million are likely to converge on Makar Sankranti tomorrow (Jan 14).

The entire Mela area has already been designated a ‘no vehicle zone’ and traffic diversions deployed across all seven routes leading to Sangam spot.

For the safety of pilgrims, an elaborate seven-ring security plan has been implemented for the 45-day Maha Kumbh 2025 from January 13 to February 26.

More than 400 million pilgrims, tourists and devotees are expected to congregate in Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh 2025 compared to the arrival of about 240 million in 2019 Kumbh Mela.

In all, 57 temporary police stations have been set up for the makeshift Maha Kumbh Mela area spanning almost 4,000 hectares.

The area has been secured with 2,751 CCTV cameras, including 328 AI-enabled ones at strategic locations.

An advanced anti-drone system, manned by experts, has also been activated. This encompasses 20 high-tech drones for a robust 24*7 hitech surveillance.

These drones will provide real-time updates across all 25 sectors of the Mela area. They are programmed to capture every detail of the crowd with a single click for efficient monitoring.

The enhanced Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) has been established for effective crowd control and traffic management.

Meanwhile, authorities have set up 150,000 tents to accommodate the pilgrims, while the administration plans to provide 450,000 temporary electricity connections in the Mela area.

The Kumbh Mela has earned global recognition as UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO defined Maha Kumbh as the ‘largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth’.

Maha Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 12 years, while Kumbh Mela occurs every 6 years. Magh Mela is an annual affair in Prayagraj.

Kumbh Mela is considered as a sacred pilgrimage for devout Hindus and other sects associated with it.

The various rituals embed astronomy, astrology, spirituality and socio-cultural customs, which are believed to purify one’s body and soul.

Kumbh pilgrimage is undertaken by people from all walks of life including ascetics, hermits, seers and sages, to ordinary men and women seeking divine peace and energy.

Kumbh comprises an array of traditional and cultural activities to captivate the pilgrims with religious fervour and indigenous connect.

While Maha Kumbh is a religious event yet it has a positive economic and financial impact on Uttar Pradesh.

The state government estimates that the Maha Kumbh 2025 will generate an economy of almost Rs 2 trillion and benefit a host of sectors.

Kumbh boosts the tourism, hospitality and transport sectors, thus catalysing the MSME domain and providing economic streams to tens of thousands of households.

As such, the Yogi Adityanath government is leveraging the heft of social media apart from conventional channels of communication for a global branding of Maha Kumbh 2025.

The state aims to project ‘Brand UP’ in all its visages including cultural, religious, economic, heritage etc.

Meanwhile, nearly two dozen Indian and global educational and research institutions will study different aspects of the Maha Kumbh 2025.

It includes Harvard, Stanford, London School of Economics, Kyoto University, AIIMS, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, JNU etc.

Their professors, research scholars and students will study aspects such as planning, management, crowd control, lodging, monitoring, security etc for the gargantuan congregation.

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