We are on the last leg of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. Even before it has ended, which it does with Maha Shiv Ratri Snan on 26 Feb 2025, the Chief Minister of U.P. announced that 500 million devotees had visited Prayagraj in less than a month in the forty-day event. It has been a far greater draw than what he had planned for and what many thought was over ambitious.
Notwithstanding the few setbacks, like the stampede that took thirty lives or the traffic jams that needed rapid response, the five hundred million who came and saw were overwhelmed. It was the biggest statement that Sanatan Dharma has made to India and the world. Apart from the Spiritual impact its impact on the tourism industry will be as profound.
The first impact is that the planners will have to go back to the drawing board and re-invent the Kumbh Mela. The planners had anticipated a flow of devotees based on the numbers that would come by rail, road and air, based on past experience and anticipated increased capacity put in place. What none anticipated perhaps was the huge numbers that would use the newly improved highways and their new SUVs to pack up their families, old and young and just head for the Triveni. The resulting traffic jams took every one unawares.
This was the outcome of the improved infrastructure and economy that has generated a whole new profile of Domestic Tourists… the affluent Indian middle class has arrived and will not be ignored. They have created a new demand of high-class roads, accommodation facilities and experience. The old “Lota-Kambal” class of pilgrim has become a thing of the past. You still have them but then there are more, of well to do middle class. Clearly, the lure has caught on, among all classes of devotees. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s quick responses to the changing situations shows he is aware of this and is up to the task.
The U.P. Govt has already announced a Tourism Circuit that will integrate Prayagraj with Varanasi and Ayodhya as well as Mirzapur into a Special Tourism Zone. This will create a new year-round destination with a huge volume of tourists that will need investments in tourist accommodation and facilities and of course, a large number of jobs.
The last budget has given high priority to Tourism which reflects Prime Minister Modi’s vision of growing the tourism sector to boost both the economy as well as employment. The Mahakumbh is the trigger that has suddenly brought it into reality. One can only wait and watch as we see the story unfold. The tourism industry must take this opportunity and make it happen as the coming years will see Pilgrim Tourism as the biggest boost to India’s growth story both materially and spiritually.
The Indic or Hindu faith as it is now known is a broad umbrella that includes the the Buddhist, Jain and Sikh faiths to name just the better known ones. The King of Bhutan came to Kumbh as did the Buddhist Monks. So did the Sikhs. In fact, one of the thirteen major Akhadas that have pride of place at the Kumbh was started by the eldest son of Guru Govind Singh. Not only that, it has now been discovered by the global elite and the likes of Hollywood and Grammy Stars as well as the global corporate honchos. From the world of snake charmers and beggars, Hinduism has suddenly caught the Imagination of the rich and famous. It is now “cool” to be Hindu. Donald Trump’s single liner sums it up….” I am a big fan of Hindu and India “. He has followed it up by including avowed Hindus like Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, Vivek Ramaswamy in the top echelons in his Presidential team. That Hinduism will take centre stage in global perceptions is a given. It is now for India to make what it can of it.
Jayant Sanyal is a former civil servant who has had extensive experience in the tourism sector, having led West Bengal tourism and been JS and ADG in the central ministry of tourism. He has overseen the rise of heritage hotels and adventure tourism in the country. He writes extensively on the subject.
