2025 Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela

The 2025 Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela was the most recent iteration of the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage festival that marked a full orbital revolution of Jupiter around the Sun. It was scheduled from 13 January to 26 February 2025, at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was the world's largest gathering, and according to data released on 26 February, more than 660 million (66 crores) people had taken a dip in the river, although this number is a cumulative count of daily attendees inflated by repeat bathers. This event marked the completion of a 12-year Kumbh Mela cycle and was officially termed a Maha Kumbh Mela, spanning 45 days.
The Kumbh Mela had been organised for many centuries with its commencement date unknown. As per astrological calculations, the 2025 edition was unique since the constellation alignment seen was witnessed once in 144 years. The site of each Kumbh Mela was decided by the astrological alignment of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon. The Kumbh Mela had been recognised as part of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
The budget for the event was about ₹63.82 billion (US$750 million) and it is estimated that the event will generate a revenue of more than ₹2 trillion (US$23 billion).
The Government of Uttar Pradesh have set up a temporary city covering 4,000 hectares (40 km) to accommodate the pilgrims attending the event. To expand the available land, four dredging machines were used to reclaim 26 additional hectares (0.26 km), significantly increasing the capacity to three times more than in 2019 Prayag Ardh Kumbh Mela. Prayagraj is also embracing smart city technologies to enhance urban living. The total length of the ghats is 12 km (7.5 mi), and the surrounding area has been divided into 25 sectors. About 150,000 tents were established to provide accommodation. Nearly 83 projects were completed at a cost of ₹14.28 billion (US$170 million) for the event.
Parking facilities cover an area of 1,850 hectares (18.5 km). The total road length within the area was increased over 450 km (280 mi) to improve accessibility. Indian Railways has announced an increase in the number of coaches in key trains, such as the Prayagraj Express and Lucknow Mail, to accommodate the expected influx of pilgrims during the Mahakumbh 2025. Indian Railways operated special trains to various railway stations in the area. About 360 trains including 190 special trains, 110 regular trains and 60 MEMU trains to cater to the pilgrims on the day of Mauni Amavasya on 29 January 2025. Prayagraj Airport (IATA Code:IXD) is another way to reach out to 2025 Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela from other parts of India with daily flights from all major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, etc.
The Prayagraj Mela Committee set up 150,000 toilets and urinals in the Maha Kumbh area, and a monitoring system was launched to track sanitation levels in toilets. About 10,000 sanitation workers were engaged for cleaning activity. One cleaner was allocated for every ten toilets with a supervisor monitoring a batch of ten such personnel. The Uttar Pradesh State Government deputed 500 dedicated Ganga Praharis for cleaning the river during Maha Kumbh. During the Mahakumbh, the CPCB released a report stating that the water quality at the Maha Kumbh was found unfit for dips.
About 40,000 police officers from the Uttar Pradesh Police and surveillance systems were deployed for the event. Additionally, forces from the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (UP-PAC), National Disaster Response Force, and Central Armed Police Forces assisted in maintaining security. A network of around 2,300 cameras provided round-the-clock monitoring, enhancing surveillance across the Mela area. Underwater drones capable of diving up to 100 m (330 ft) were used in recovery operations. Maharashtra Police sent two teams to study the security arrangements and traffic management in the area during the Mahakumbh Mela, so they can use the same strategy with the Kumbh Mela in Nashik in 2027.
The state government allocated ₹1.31 billion (US$15 million) for the fire department. The Uttar Pradesh Fire and Emergency Services Department deployed 351 firefighting vehicles and 2000+ personnel across 50+ fire stations and 20 fire posts. It also deployed four articulating water towers to enhance fire fighting capabilities. These towers can extend 30 m (98 ft) horizontally, and 35 m (115 ft) vertically, and are designed to handle large fire events. Video recorders and thermal imaging cameras were deployed for real-time monitoring and precise firefighting.
The organising committee set up ten lost and found centres across various sectors to reunite missing individuals with their families. These centres use digital registration to keep track of people, with details on missing individuals displayed at all centres. Regular audio announcements, and messages across social media platforms were used to spread information on lost individuals. A mobile application was launched which provided information to the pilgrims. Artificial intelligence tools and chatbots were used to assist tourists and pilgrims.
Amrit Snan (transl. Nectar Baths) or Shahi Snan are being held as follows:
On 29 January 2025, a crowd crush at the festival grounds left at least 30 people dead and 60 others injured. A second crush in the following hours killed seven people including a three-year-old child. The official death toll count has been disputed, with reports suggesting the actual number of fatalities being higher than the government's figure. A report by the Indian media watchdog Newslaundry based on hospital and police records claims the death toll to be at least 79. These discrepancies have led to criticism of the government's handling of the incident and calls for greater transparency. Later on 15 February, a crowd crush at New Delhi railway station left 15 people dead after trains carrying pilgrims to the festival were delayed.
The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela made preparations for the attendance of up to 40 crores (400 million) visitors. The fair is over with surpassing the 400 million attendance expected. As of 12 February 2025, the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj has seen an unprecedented number of devotees participating in the sacred bathing rituals. By 6 AM on 12 February, over 73 lakh (7.3 million) devotees had taken the ritual dip at the Triveni Sangam and other ghats during the Maghi Purnima Snan.
While the attendance figures "implausibly imply that half of all Indians made the pilgrimage", they were actually counted in terms of cumulative attendance, not unique visitors, meaning that repeat bathers inflate the count. The Times of India estimated that on an average day, there were 50-60 lakh (5-6 million) devotees staying at Kumbh Mela plus 10-15 lakh (1.0-1.5 million) temporary visitors, for a total of 65-70 lakh (6.5-7.0 million) per day. Attendance numbers were computed from a mix of manual counts, train arrivals, satellite imagery and camera footage.
Many tourists and pilgrims came from various countries such as Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.
A delegation of 118 diplomats, including the Heads of Mission, their spouses, and diplomats from 77 countries, visited the Maha Kumbh Mela on 1 February 2025.
President Droupadi Murmu on 10 February visited the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam. After taking the dip, she offered prayers at Triveni Sangam—which is a confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati.
On 3 February 2025, Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar along with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, took a sacred dip at the Prayagraj Sangam during Maha Kumbh 2025.
On 5 February 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Prayagraj to participate in the ongoing Kumbh Mela. As part of the sacred rituals, he took a dip in the Triveni Sangam. His visit was marked by grand ceremonial events and prayers, and a boat ride to the Sangam with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The visit was widely covered by media outlets. Since Modi arrived after the 29 January stampede that killed dozens, opposition parties have blamed the tragedy on mismanagement and accused his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hiding the real death toll.
On 4 February 2025, Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited the Maha Kumbh and took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam.