2024 is coming to an end. We are all set to ring in the New year with the Kumbh mela at Prayagraj. The Mahakumbh 2025 or the Prayag Kumbh Mela is beginning from Paush Purnima on Jan 13, 2025 and will end on Feb 26, 2025 which is the day of Mahashivratri. It will be held at the Triveni Sangam, which is the confluence place of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

Commencing only once in twelve years, the event is estimated to have a presence of nearly 400 million people making it the largest human gathering on the planet. It is followed after the 2019 Prayagraj Ardh Kumbh mela. The Kumbh is more than simply a religious event. Read on, to know…

Significance of the Mahakumbh –

According to Hinduism, the Kumbh mela is celebrated as a victory of the Gods over the demons. In the Samudra Manthana (the churning of oceans), that is the battle for the nectar of life or immortality, the Gods defeated the demons. It is believed that during the days of the Kumbh, the nectar of Gods falls from the heaven. A bath in these holy waters blesses you with the nectar and frees you from all the impurities, granting you prayashchit, i.e. an atonement or liberation from all the sins. The pot containing the nectar spilled at four places.

The Mahakumbh is thus held every three years (the same year or an year in apart) at Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nashik and Haridwar in India; the four places where the nectar fell. It is based on th Hindu Luni – Solar calendar and the astrological positions of the Sun, Jupiter and Moon. In Prayagraj, it is held on the occasion when Jupiter is in Taurus and the Sun is in the Capricorn. The Prayag has been mentioned in the Rig Veda, the Pali mentions of Buddhism and the Mahabharata. The position of stars at other Kumbh places is-

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on the banks of river Kshipra : When Jupiter is in Leo and the Sun is in Aries.

Nashik, Maharashtra at Godavari river banks : When both the Sun and Jupiter are placed in Leo.

River Ganga in Haridwar, Uttarakhand : When the Sun is in Aries and Jupiter is in Aquarius.

Shahi Snans (Royal baths) will be held on various auspicious occassions during the Prayag Mahakumbh. The schedule is as follows –

• January 13 – Paush Purnima (first royal bath)
• January 14 – Makar Sankranti
• January 29 – Mauni Amavasya
• February 03 – Basant Panchami
• February 12 – Magh Purnima
• February 26 – Maha Shivratri

The infrastructure –

The Mahakumbh is a religious gathering of all the saints, monks and Hindu leaders from the world, who have their own Akharas and camps allotted. Apart from this, there are educational events, discussions, phot exhibitions, commercial undertakings, culture and eco- tourism, spiritual discourses and feasts. The total estimated cost of the 83 project area around the Mela area is 1428.68 crores. During the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj, the fair will be held in an area of 4000 hectares. Arrangements are made for proper cleanliness (500 Ganga Praharis) and sanitation. Special precautions for the safety of the devotees is considered. AI tools and Chatbots will assist the visitors. There is deployment of water police and underwater drones, so that there is no loss of life while bathing at Triveni Sangam. The drone can cover a distance of 1.5 km in a minute and is capable of finding a drowning person within a radius of 300m.

How to reach –

Prayagraj can be well reached to via train, flights or buses. If you are travelling by train, then –

• There are 8 railway stations in the city. It also includes Prayagraj junction (PYJ), Prayagraj Sangam (PYG), Prayagraj Rambagh (PRRB), Naini Junction (NYN), Prayagraj Chheoki (PCOI), Phaphamau Junction (PFM), Jhunsi (JI) and Subedargunj (SFG). Regular trains like the Rajdhani Express, Vande Bharat, Kashi             express, Saket SF express, Sanghamitra express and many more can help you conveniently reach Prayagraj.
• If you consider travelling via plane, then Prayagraj’s Bamrauli Airport is the closest to the city with just 13 km of distance. Some nearby airports are –

Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi

Kanpur Airport, Chakeri

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow

Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya

Mahayogi Gorakhnath Airport, Gorakhpur

• If you are travelling via road, the major bus stands are the Prayagraj bus stand and the Kachari Bus stand. There is a smooth road connectivity of Prayagraj to other State and National highways. The buses can be booked at UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation). Other platforms are makemytrip.com, redbus.in and yatra.com.

Places to stay –

There is the Mahakumbh Mela 2025 app that assists the pilgrims with ghat locations, temples and other important spots in Prayagraj.

Here is a list covering the places for accommodation, whether you want to stay in the city region or the Mela area, here are options to consider:

• In the mela area: At a short distance of 1.1 km, from the Triveni Sangam the tent cities are located. These range from the basic tents to the private luxury ones. While staying in the Mela area, there is an added advantage of being close to the ghats, other rituals and events.

These are managed by the UPSTDC Tent colony which offers the Villa, Swiss and Maharaja cottages and Dormitory.

The tents can be booked at -  https://kumbh.gov.in/en/Wheretostaylist

• In the city area – In the city, there are a variety of hotels, inns and lodges, where you can make a comfortable stay. Make sure, you are close to the visiting places. Also make early bookings so that you check in with ease.
• Another affordable option can be staying in a PG or a rented room. It is an early trend where people in Prayagraj rent out unused rooms and spaces to visitors. This can be a really budget friendly option for your pocket.  

With this, you have a comprehensive guide about the Mahakumbh 2025, which is inclusive of the history and significance of the event, the Shahi Snan schedule, the places to stay and even how to reach. Get ready to take the leap of faith in the much awaited event of the year in Prayag – The Mahakumbh.