Nepal can also reap benefits from Maha Kumbh

PRAYAGRAJ (India): Devotees can be seen joyfully taking holy dips at the confluence of the Yamuna and Ganges rivers.

Despite appearing fatigued from long-distance travel, the joy of arriving here is clearly reflected on their faces.

The Kumbh Mela, which is believed to occur once every 144 years, sees millions of devotees chanting the name of God while bathing at designated spots along the riverbanks.

The belief that the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers converge at this site gives it special religious significance, though the Saraswati River is not currently visible.

Gagan Yadav, the Information Officer of the Kumbh Mela, shared that the influx of visitors to the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttarakhand, has been steadily increasing since last month.

He claimed that between 10 million to 30 million devotees arrive each day. “Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based cameras have been installed at intersections to count the people entering the Maha Kumbh. As many as 30 million devotees have attended the event in a single day,” he said.

The flow of devotees increased significantly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi bathed at the site.

“The number of devotees has risen dramatically over the last five days, making it a Herculean task for us to manage,” he added.

So far, over 450 million people have visited the Maha Kumbh Mela, with devotees from various countries, including Nepal, among the attendees. Yadav expects the total number of visitors to reach 550 million by the end of the fair.

Yadav emphasized that Nepal could also benefit from the Maha Kumbh Mela by promoting religious tourism.

Many devotees visiting the Kumbh Mela also visit other significant temples, such as the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya and the Vishwanath Baba temple in Varanasi.

Likewise, visitors could be encouraged to explore Nepal’s famous pilgrimage sites, including Pashupatinath, Muktinath, and Lumbini.

Arrangements have been made along the riverbanks to ensure all devotees can bathe at the confluence. A special area has been set up for conducting media ‘podcasting,’ with residential facilities for local, national, and international press.

Temporary accommodations have also been constructed for visitors. According to Yadav, the Government of India has already spent Rs 75 billion to ensure the smooth operation of the fair.