E-Paper
Mahakumbh 2025: 45 crore devotees, 40,000 security personnel, 1.5 lakh tents — all about the largest gathering on earth
2,751 CCTV cameras, including 328 AI-enabled ones, and advanced AI-powered analytics are deployed at key locations to improve surveillance.
As the Maha Kumbh begins in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, with four crore devotees set to take a holy dip on January 13-14, a seven-ring security plan has turned the mela area into a fortress for pilgrim safety.
The mela has begun, with authorities expecting around 1 crore devotees to visit the area on Paush Purnima (January 13) and an estimated 3 crore people to take a holy dip on Makar Sankranti (January 14).
In preparation, the police have declared the entire mela area a ‘no vehicle zone’ and set up a traffic diversion plan across all seven routes leading to Sangam (confluence).
In addition to 2,751 CCTV cameras, including 328 AI-enabled ones at key locations like Sangam and the tent city, mela police have deployed advanced AI-powered analytics systems to improve surveillance and manage crowds.
“Approximately 40,000 policemen, including paramilitary forces and teams from UP technical services, have been deployed in and around the mela area,” the report quoted IG (Prayagraj range) Prem Gautam as saying.
He also said that all key locations, including pandals, camps, tent cities, Sangam, and Sanskriti Gram, are under close police surveillance.
Anti-drone system, drones ensure 24/7 surveillance
In a bid to enhance security during the mela, an advanced anti-drone system has been activated, manned by a team of skilled experts. Alongside this, 20 high-tech drones have been deployed to provide seamless, 24/7 surveillance.
These drones will offer real-time updates across all 25 sectors of the mela, capturing every detail of the crowd with just a single click, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient monitoring system.
The enhanced Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) will offer crucial details for effective crowd control and traffic management.
150,000 tents, 450,000 electricity connections
Authorities have set up 150,000 tents to accommodate the pilgrims, with the expected number of visitors being three times the population of Russia.
Administration aims to provide 4,50,000 new electricity connections, with over half of these already allotted.
The Kumbh mela draws a diverse group of attendees, including saints and sadhus who lead disciplined spiritual lives, as well as hermits who emerge from seclusion to partake in the event.
The allure of the Kumbh extends beyond India, attracting global figures like actor Richard Gere, director David Lynch, and Tibetan Buddhist leader Dalai Lama.
In 2017, the Kumbh mela earned recognition as part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Gathering for salvation and purification
The Kumbh mela, held every three years in four cities along India's sacred rivers, attracts millions of devotees. The “maha” Kumbh, occurring once every 12 years, is deemed more auspicious and sees the largest crowd. Devotees believe that bathing in these rivers during the mela absolves sins and grants liberation from the cycle of life and death.
