The devotees travelling to Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh Mela are facing several problems due to heavy rush and failure of administrative machinery. Lack of proper management and absence of coordination between different state governments and departments is leading to confusion and chaos.
The incident of stampede in Delhi highlighted the tragic side of Kumbh Mela’s rush and what’s worrying is, devotees are expected to face further more troubles in the coming days as Kumbh Mela is nearing end and the number devotees travelling to Prayagraj from all over India is only rising with each passing day.
According to Uttar Pradesh Govt, the number of Hindu devotees taking a dip in the holy waters during Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 has crossed 50 Cr by Feb 14. While about 70 lakh people took dip on the first day, now about 90 lakh people are taking a dip in the Triveni Sangamam at Prayagraj. With Kumbh Mela nearing end, the number is expected to cross 1 crore mark per day.
These huge crowds and mounting rush will surely making management more tough for officials and devotees have to face hardships. Right from starting from their native places to reaching Prayagraj, having a holy dip and returning back, devotees are facing several hurdles and even risks.
For instance, the train from Hyderabad to Danapur, the main express carrying devotees from Telangana to Maha Kumbhmela is running late by more than 5 to 10 hours. Even there are changes in its route but Railway officials are not communicating the same with devotees, causing confusion. This is just one small aspect of lack of coordination and miscommunication.
What’s causing troubles for Maha Kumbha Mela devotees is lack of coordination between different state governments. As devotees from all states travel to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Govt should have actively coordinated with other states to facilitate travel, stay, pilgrimage and tourism activities.
Besides coordinating with state Governments, Railways, Civil Aviation Ministry and State Road Transport Corporation’s should have been actively involved to ensure hassle free travel to Prayagraj. But the kilometers long traffic jams on the way to Prayagraj prove that no such efforts were done.
Not just devotees travelling through trains but even those traveling through road using owing vehicles are left in the dark. Especially devotees from South India are facing severe problems as they are new to North Indian terrain and culture.
Keeping all these issues in mind, devotees travelling to Prayagraj to take part in Maha Kumbh Mela are advised to exercise utmost caution and stay alert all through the journey. As travel plans are going for a toss, devotees should be alert and keep abreast of the developments and status at Maha Kumbh Mela from time to time, to escape traffic jams and stampede. It is advisable to keep all the contacts required during emergencies readily available to use in case of any untoward incident.
