The Maha Kumbh Mela, which will take place in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, will not only be a blend of tradition and modernity but will also be unique in every way. Maha Kumbh has been an exceptional forum for religion, culture and tradition as well as socialization and business since ancient times till the present. The state administration will profit monetarily from the pilgrims who visit from all over the world to attend the auspicious gathering.
The British administration also made constant efforts to ensure that Kumbh was organized successfully. Although it was not significant to the British in terms of religion or culture, it was crucial to their economy. The government of British India used to make more money from this event than it spent on sponsoring it, until 1906. The preparations for Prayagraj Maha Kumbh 2025 were initiated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in 2022. He presided over the inaugural Maha Kumbh 2025 meeting, which took place in 2022. He also visited Prayagraj frequently during that time.
The pious occasion has also piqued the interest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He travelled to Prayagraj for this purpose to personally assess the festival preparations. CM Yogi and PM Modi also launched, unveiled and inaugurated other projects associated with the Mahakumbh celebration. The two are making great efforts to put this event on a global pedestal in this manner.
Special projects for Maha Kumbh Nagri
It is anticipated that 45 crore people will attend the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela. This will boost local employment, trade, regional handicrafts and arts as well as tourism and overall development. Kumbh helps the government build the region’s infrastructure in every manner, which eventually helps the people and makes trade easier. Yogi Adityanath’s government in the state has set a target of completing more than 500 projects for Maha Kumbh.
The total cost of these projects is around Rs 6,382 crore which includes the widening of roads, laying of drinking water pipelines and running of new buses, among others along with multiple types of infrastructure development. Over 50,000 labourers are working hard day and night to establish Maha Kumbh City. Bridges are being constructed as needed. Temporary four-lane steel bridges were built in areas where bridge construction was not feasible. Even railroad bridges were set up where required. Furthermore, all of the roads that led to Prayagraj were made broader and more attractive.
An attractive appearance to Prayagraj
The city has been given a unique appearance in an attempt to draw in pilgrims visiting Prayagraj. A budget of Rs 60 crore has been allocated by the Prayagraj Development Authority to give the city walls and important intersections a magnificent appearance. This includes street art on major walls of the city, murals on intersections, sculptures of various styles, landscaping, traffic signs, green belts, horticulture and others. The walls of the city will be inscribed with various symbols of religion, spirituality and culture.
Such images will be created to give the impression that they were communicating with the visitors, describing the historic city to them and welcoming them in the religious and cultural confluence of modernity. They will be portrayed in roughly 10 lakh square feet of the city in this manner.
Employment to local people
According to an estimate, 45,000 families will get work from the Maha Kumbh. 25,000 workers have been employed in Mahakumbh. 45,000 thousand families have been trained under skill development for the event. The state government has created more than 2,000 paying guest facilities in the city to accommodate pilgrims coming from outside. The Uttar Pradesh government formulated a tourism policy in the year 2022, which aimed to train 10 lakh people. These skilled service providers will find work and play a significant part in this Maha Kumbh. Self-employment, such as an eco-friendly axe or stone mill, would be crucial in this. The small-scale industries will greatly benefit from the same.
The Department of Tourism of Uttar Pradesh has been providing all forms of training to various service providers including tour guides, drivers, sailors and street vendors. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department has trained more than 2,000 ferrymen to attract tourists and increase their income which includes everything from attending to the devotees to taking care of their safety. Moreover, local women are also selling clay stoves to maintain the purity of food during Kumbh. Every service provider and small business that has a direct or indirect connection to the pilgrims visiting the Mahakumbh has so received training, ensuring that visitors enjoy both the special joy of hospitality as well as religious and cultural experience.
Special arrangements in tent city
The state government has erected over 2,000 Swiss cottage-style tents for devotees in the Kumbh region and a posh tent city is being built for it. The Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Limited (UPSTDC) is in charge of creating these. This city has been founded by UPSTDC in collaboration with six partners. Various blocks are being set up in the tent city. Kumbh Camp India, Rishikul Kumbh Cottage, Kumbh Village, Kumbh Canvas, Kumbh Era, and others are prominent among these. These tents will have five-star hotel facilities per international standards and will be available in Super Deluxe, Tent Villa, Maharaja, Swiss Cottage and Dormitory formats.
Vocal for local
CM Yogi’s government of Uttar Pradesh has made a framework to promote the local products of the state internationally through Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025. The government has made PM Modi’s “Vocal for Local” its main mantra for it. During this time, ‘One District, One Product’ which means that each district will have a major product. Sarees of Banaras, brassware of Moradabad, terracotta of Gorakhpur and Shajar stone products of Banda are expected to gain more fame and promotion on the international stage. As a result, it is also expected to increase the turnover of the related products of these districts. PM Modi had massively supported “Vocal for Local” and the Uttar Pradesh government has set a new standard in it.
45 crore tourists from 75 countries
Mahakumbh 2025 which is to be held in Prayagraj is believed to attract 45 crore people from more than 75 countries around the world. These comprise devotees to journalists and researchers. The Mahakumbh could alone attract about 4 lakh visitors from Europe. The state Tourism Department has received inquiries from tour companies in many European nations. Muslims from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and other Muslim nations are also making reservations at hotels in Prayagraj to visit Mahakumbh. As a result of the influx of foreign visitors, India will also receive foreign exchange. Both India and Uttar Pradesh’s economies will reap the rewards from this. Additionally, the brand UP will gain international awareness.
There were 24 crore devotees who attended the 2019 Mahakumbh. Twenty-five lakh of them were overseas visitors. This figure appears to be rising swiftly this time. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s exemplary law and order reform in Uttar Pradesh has been welcomed and trusted not only by the nation but also by the entire world. A total of 48 crore tourists visited Uttar Pradesh in 2023, which is the same number as last year. These comprise both foreign and domestic travelers. This number represented a 50% increase over 2022. It is projected that by 2028, this number will have increased to 85 crores. This makes the Mahakumbh of the next year extremely crucial.
Special trains from Prayagraj to other religious places
Devotees coming to Maha Kumbh Mela can also visit famous pilgrimage sites like Vindhyachal, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan and Mathura. The state government has created a religious corridor for pilgrims to visit these sacred sites during the Maha Kumbh Yatra. Special arrangements have been made for Varanasi including waterways and special trains. Railways have decided to run 34 trains between Varanasi cantonment and Prayagraj to link the event directly to Varanasi.
It has been decided to run similar special trains between Prayagraj to Ayodhya, Prayagraj to Vindhyachal and Prayagraj to Mathura-Vrindavan. ‘Fast Ring Memo’ service has been launched for these cities which will pass from Prayagraj to Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj. Similarly, the second train will arrive from Prayagraj to Varanasi, then Ayodhya and again Prayagraj. This service will be available on all days except the main days (when holy baths are taken) of the festivals.
