Dawn of New Year sets stage for greatest gathering on earth
As Prayagraj prepares to welcome the faithful, the Sangam city has transformed into a mesmerising visual delight for the mega congregation during which 400 million pilgrims and tourists are set to assemble in a span of 45 days for the Mahakumbh-2025, the grandest event of the New Year
rajeev.mullick@htlive.com
The dawn of the New Year signals the final countdown for the world’s biggest spiritual spectacle, Mahakumbh 2025, that will begin on January 13 with hundreds of thousands taking a holy dip at the Sangam.
The greatest religious-cum-cultural congregation on earth is expected to break all past records and will also be the grandest event of the New Year. The Uttar Pradesh government estimates that nearly 400 million pilgrims will turn up at the 45-day fair which will end on February 26.
Sangam city has blossomed into a glorious religious city with new structures rising along the banks that bear the distinct imprint of both modernity and divine purpose. As a thick layer of fog disappeared, one could see the birth of a new city called, Mahakumbh Nagar dotted with pilgrims who have started arriving from far and near to dive into the chilled waters of the Ganga with the hope to wash away all their sins.
Multiple state government agencies are busy 24x7 giving final touches to preparations for the event.
As Prayagraj prepares to welcome the faithful, the city has transformed into a mesmerizing visual spectacle. Roads adorned with colourful lights, LED-based insignias depicting Hindu religious themes, and murals that illustrate stories from the Mahabharata and the lives of great sages line the streets. The grand murals, spanning over 15 lakh square feet, create an almost magical atmosphere for those traversing the city, adding to the spiritual aura of the event.
“From the depths of the river’s embrace emerges a city of divinity—4,000 hectares, now a sanctuary for 400 million souls. Between Paush Purnima (January 13) and Maha Shivratri (February 26), the Sangam becomes not just a meeting of rivers, but a confluence of hearts, faiths, and the eternal flow of spiritual transformation,” said Swami Chidanand Saraswati, president and spiritual head of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram at Rishikesh. They are establishing their camp in the Aral area.
A group of men and women arrived from a village near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh in the Sangam area.
“Hum Prayagraj Mahakumbh se pehle aa gaye kyonki snan ki dino bahut bheed hoti hai January 13 se (We arrived at Prayagraj before the start of Mahakumbh as the city would be overcrowded from January 13 onwards),” said Dheeraj Singh who led a group of 24 people from his native place in MP.
Arvind, a 15-year-old boy from the group Ujjain, said, “In three years’ time our Ujjain city, the abode of Mahakaal too will host the Kumbh in 2028. We will also be a part of that Kumbh too. I consider myself blessed. The atmosphere at Kumbh Mela area is absolutely electric with devotees and tourists from all walks of life from different corner of country heading to Sangam City with loads of enthusiasm.”
As many as 400 million devouts and tourists are set to assemble in a span of 45 days to get a firsthand feel of divinity and pray for moksha (salvation) at the Mahakumbh Mela area that is spread over 4000 hectares. Rakesh Kumar Shukla, widely known as Prayagputra in Prayagraj, described Mahakumbh as a mega festival of digital detox and spiritual purification. He has elaborated on this perspective in his coffee table book dedicated to the Kumbh.
In the midst of a mega carnival like atmosphere, the Bhagwat Katha and Ganga aarti tune are being played from 13 different Akharas.
A devotee of the Ganga river Mukesh Srivastava said, “Devotional songs resounding from lakhs of tents and nearly 6000 small and big pandals of dharma gurus is only adding to the buildup for the 45-day fair.”
Sushamanjana Rathore, 20, a BA-B Ed student who came to Aral ghat for a pre-wedding shoot with a relative, said, “Amid several other changes that city has seen, the most important is that the Ganga suddenly started looking very clean as compared to what it was a few months ago.” Her cousin Vinay Kumar, a B Sc student at Allahabad University, said, “It is good to see that the Mahakumbh Nagar and Prayagraj got several new things which will stay here permanently for local residents to benefit. A number of roads have been widened. Many new roads over and under bridges, pucca ghats, riverfront roads, broadening and beautification of traffic intersections and roads, besides beautification of parks, creating green zones, mural paintings etc and also upgrading existing infra with regard to power and water supply among others.”
Prayagraj divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant said, “See 95% ground work has been accomplished. Only 5% work (is) left. The delay of work if any was due to flood that created problem. Out of 30 pontoon bridges, 28 are operational.”
Mela Adhikari Vijay Kiran Anand said that state machinery is functioning round the clock.
“Our team is doing everything one can do to finish the incomplete work at the earliest,” he said.
ADM Kumbh Vivek Chaturvedi said, “Last weekend’s rain briefly halted the pace of the work. But now everything is on track.”
Cycling enthusiasts Daksh Singh and Dev Rakh, both residents of Prayagraj, said, “The city has witnessed massive development. Kumbh has given a big push to the city’s infrastructure.”
Regional tourism officer Aparajita Singh said, “Inauguration of temple corridors, including the Bharadwaj Ashram corridor, Shringverpur Dham corridor, Akshayvat corridor and Hanuman Mandir corridor, among others, will ensure the ease of access to devotees and also boost spiritual tourism.”
The Mahakumbh will feature a dedicated network of 1.5 lakh toilets, supported by 15,000 sanitation workers, to uphold the promise of a ‘Swach MahaKumbh’ (Clean Mahakumbh). Electricity will be provided by a network of 85 substations, lighting up over 4.5 lakh camps, including those of saints, seers, and pilgrims. The water supply will be bolstered by 1,249 kilometres of pipelines, 200 water ATMs, and 85 water pumps, ensuring access to potable water across the 25 mela sectors.
The preparations for the Mahakumbh 2025 have garnered praise from leaders at the highest levels. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit in December, lauded the mammoth arrangements, declaring the event to be “history in the making.” Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also visited Prayagraj five times to oversee the preparations, ensuring everything is in place for the grand start of the Mahakumbh.
The scale of the Mahakumbh-2025 is unlike anything seen before, surpassing the grandeur of previous Kumbh Melas held in Haridwar, Nasik, Ujjain, and Prayagraj itself. A sprawling tent city, covering over 4,000 hectares, is taking shape to accommodate the millions of attendees who will live a life of austerity, participate in religious rituals, and seek divine salvation. This once-in-12-years event is not just a religious occasion, but a unique cultural experience that draws the world’s attention.
Paush Purnima: January 13, 2025
Makar Sankranti: January 14
Mauni Amavasya: January 29
Basant Panchami: February 3
Maghi Purnima: February 12
Maha Shivaratri: February 26
MAHAKUMBH 2025 — ALL IN NUMBERS
Duration 45 days (Jan 13 to Feb 26, 2025)
Expected visitors Over 40 cr (400 mn)
Temporary city setup Mahakumbh Nagar is being developed into a temporary city with thousands of tents and shelters, including IRCTC’s ‘Mahakumbh Gram’ luxury tent city
Road Infra 92 roads renovated; 17 roads beautified
Pontoon Bridges Construction of 30 bridges using 3,308 pontoons; 28 ready
Signage Installation 800 multilingual signages planned; over 400 installed
CCTV Cameras 2700 AI-enabled cameras installed for real-time monitoring
Facial Recognition Tech At entry points for enhanced safety
AI-powered Crowd Density Monitoring System 340 experts will also be deployed at key locations
Police deployment Over 50,000 personnel, including paramilitary forces
Budget ₹131.48 cr
Four articulating water towers (AWTs) capable of tackling fires up to 35 meters high, 30 metres wide
Equipped with advanced tech, including video and thermal imaging systems
Deployed for aerial monitoring
Underwater drones can dive up to 100 mtrs to provide round-the-clock surveillance at the Sangam area
Team of 56 cyber warriors to monitor online threats. Cyber help desks at all police stations
State-of-the-art vehicle capable of handling situations ranging from natural disasters to road accidents.
Includes a 10-20 tonne lifting bag for rescuing individuals from debris and specialized machines for moving objects up to 1.5 tonnes.
Temp hosps with surgical, diagnostic facilities
The ‘Bhishma Cube’ can treat up to 200 people at once.
‘Netra Kumbh’ camp to test the eyesight of over 5 lakh pilgrims and distribute 3 lakh+ eyeglasses, targeting a Guinness World Record
An eye donation camp aims to reduce blindness among 1.5 crore visually impaired individuals in India. Over 11,000 eye donations were recorded in 2019.
Dedicated health camps for elderly pilgrims and children
Mobile toilets, robust waste mgmt systems to ensure hygiene
3 temp STPs to ensure clean water in the Ganga and the Yamuna
Use of solar power for lighting, promotion of reusable materials, and ban on single-use plastics
Dedicated app offering real-time updates on crowd density, emergency alerts, directions, and accommodation details. Online registration and ticketing streamline visitor management
Temp Wi-Fi zones
Integration with Google Maps for navigation within Mahakumbh Nagar.
Uttar Pradesh Pavilion spanning 5 acres near Nagavasuki Temple, to showcase states tourism circuits
Classical music and dance performances, exhibitions on India’s spiritual heritage to highlight state’s cultural richness
Development of new corridors like Akshayavat Corridor, Saraswati Koop Corridor and Patalpuri Corridor
Renovation of Nagvasuki Temple and Hanuman Temple Corridor
The Mahakumbh is boosting local trade, with demand for themed products like diaries, calendars, jute bags, and stationery rising by up to 25% due to meticulous branding
Mahakumbh 2025 offers multilingual signages and cultural programs for international visitors, aiming to be a global celebration of spirituality, culture, safety, sustainability, and modernity.
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