The Maha Kumbh embodies the spirit of India’s cultural and spiritual consciousness, with over 45 crore pilgrims expected to attend the mega event in Prayagraj next year, Uttar Pradesh minister Nand Gopal Gupta said here on Tuesday.
The Uttar Pradesh government is dedicated to making the Maha Kumbh a global symbol of India’s cultural unity, a statement said.
As part of this endeavour, Uttar Pradesh ministers Nand Gopal Gupta and Jaswant Singh Saini were in Chandigarh on Tuesday, where they extended an invitation to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and people of the state to attend the event.
Organised every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh will take place in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.
Emphasising that the Uttar Pradesh government is taking all steps to ensure the event becomes a historic success, Gupta called the Maha Kumbh a divine and vibrant representation of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, Samaveshi Bharat’ (One India, Great India, Inclusive India).
“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Maha Kumbh will be held on the holy land of Prayagraj after a gap of 12 years,” Gupta said.
Giving details about the event, he said, “It will be a clean, healthy, safe and digital Maha Kumbh. A pledge has been taken to make the event environment-friendly by declaring it a ‘single-use plastic-free’ Maha Kumbh.” Stressing the focus on health and hygiene, Gupta said many specialist doctors have been deployed, while a 100-bed hospital has been set up at the Parade Ground for the devotees, along with two 20-bed facilities and smaller ones with eight beds each.
“Two 10-bed ICUs have also been set up by the Army Hospital in the Mela area. Separate wards for males, females and children have been set up in these hospitals, which have delivery rooms, emergency wards etc.,” Gupta said.
Nine new ghats have been constructed in Mahakumbh Nagar to facilitate bathing for devotees, alongside the 35 existing ghats, he said.
The preparations include the launch of a dedicated website and mobile app, an AI-powered chatbot in 11 languages, QR-based passes for visitors and vehicles, a multilingual digital lost-and-found centre, ICT monitoring for cleanliness, drone-based surveillance and disaster management, an inventory tracking system, and integration of all locations on Google Map, Gupta said.
