17/01/2025
Prayagraj is ready for Mahakumbh 2025. Today, I visited the sangam area and observed a few things. This post is just to give some basic information to the people willing to visit Prayagraj during the Kumbh. It may not be exactly accurate, but it should give you a fair idea.
Duration: Jan 13-Feb 26, 2025
How to navigate in Mahakumbh?
The entire Mahakumbh area is officially divided in different sectors numbering from Sector 1 to Sector 25 spread across the Ganga And Yamuna Riverbanks, but for the simplicity, let's consider the entire city as the different zones mentioned below:
1. Main Prayagraj City: This zone has Railway Stations (Prayagraj Junction, Subedarganj, Prayagraj Rambag), Prayagraj Airport, main markets plenty of hotels, shopping options, lot of dining options, and tourist places like Azad Park, Anand Bhawan, Khusro Bag etc.
Whereever you stay in the main city, expect to get hassle-free public transports to commute unless you are moving to Sangam area.
There are restrictions on the railway stations, e.g. at Prayagraj Junction, entry is from Leader Road side and exit is from Civil Lines side.
Similarly, at Subedarganj Railway Station, entry is from Kareli side and exit is from GT Road (Sulemsarai) side. Also, keep in mind that Prayagraj Express, the most popular train between New Delhi -Prayagraj will start/terminate from Subedarganj station only.
Expect a bit of traffic jam, the city is smooth to navigate unless someone is very close to Sangam/Daraganj Area.
2. Sangam Zone: Shri Bade Hanuman ji temple, Akshayvat and bathing ghats are in this zone.
This zone has administrative offices (tent setup), government setups and a tent city by UPSTDC. Almost nobody lives or gets accommodation in this zone, except government officers involved in Kumbh administration and one who booked accommodation in the tent city.
Consider this zone for visiting Bade Hunuman ji Temple, Akshayvat and Bathing purpose only. Expect a very large crowd at Akshyvat Corridor and Shri Bade Hanuman ji Temple. Darshan at these temples remain closed on the day of Shahi Snan.
You won't find Varanasi like ghats at Sangam except one. But they have made a convenient bathing area with sandbags for at least 2 km. There is no mud.
You have options to bath in Ganga River, Yamuna River and the Sangam, where both meet.
Yamuna has a pakka ghat near the fort and most of the boats operate from its bank.
Ganga has a pakka ghat near Daraganj and except this one, other bathing areas are normal sandbags to avoid mud.
Sangam area has no pakka ghat, but sandbags. You may also go by boat to bathe at the actual sangam where the water of two rivers meet.
To reach Sangam Zone, try to reach Alopi Chungi from any part of the city. From there, walk for at least 2 km to reach the Sangam. There are high chances that you may not get any vehicle (including e-rickshaw) beyond Alopi Chungi to Sangam.
Alopi Mata Temple (Shaktipeeth) is at the walking distance from Alopi Chungi.
3. Darganj Zone: A part of the city near Sangam, basically famous for Nag Vasuki Temple. You may get auto/e-rickshaw for Daraganj from Alopi Chungi, Railway Stations and Civil Lines. It is about 2 km from Sangam.
Nearby railway stations are Prayag, Prayagraj Rambag and Prayagraj Sangam.
4. Akhada, Kalpvas Zone: This zone is the main residential area for the sadhus/devotees. It is across the Ganga River on the opposite side of the Sangam Zone. This zone stretches for about 5-6 km from Sangam to Phaphamau, just opposite the city, on the other bank of Ganga River. There are approx 30 pontoon bridges to commute from the city side to this zone stretching in the entire area.
This zone is also accessible from Jhusi side, Govindpur side and IERT side. Jhusi railway station is there at the Jhusi side.
You may find autorickshaw/e-rickshaw to commute in this zone. If you get a rickshaw from Jhusi side, it's mostly traffic free. But if you go from Daraganj or Sangam side, then it may be chaotic.
The main Shashtri Bridge across Ganga RIver (on Prayagraj-Varanasi Highway) and Yamuna Bridge (Connecting the city with Naini side) are basically used by public transports for inter-district travels. Once you enter the city, you may not need to commute on these two bridges. You will mostly use pontoon bridges.
5. Tent City/Arail/Naini Zone: This is on the other side of Yamuna River, opposite to the Sangam/Allahabad Fort.
Main railway station in this zone is Prayagraj Cheoki Railway Junction.
This zone has many upscale tents in the tent city (which may cost ₹ 10,000 upwards per night) as well as some Akhadas. But mostly it has the decent/luxury tents setup by the private players.
To commute from this zone to the Sangam:
1. You have to use a boat across the river.
2. Another option is to cross the river by Yamuna Bridge and then walk from approx 2 km from the main road to the Sangam.
3. The third option is to use 2-3 pontoon bridges between Naini and Jhusi. This is a good option to reach Akhada/Kalpvas zone from Naini side. From there, you can use other pontoon bridges to reach the Sangam.
What are the common activities? Basically bath at Sangam or Kalpvas on the riverbank. It may include:
1. Bath in Ganga River/Yamuna River/ Sangam
2. Stay in Tents for a week/month (Kalpvas)
3. Walk around in the Akhada Zone/Offer prayers/Observe the life of Sadhus
4. Listen Pravachan/Bhajan etc in Akhada Zone
5. Visit Akshayvat, Shri Bade Human ji Temple, Alopi Mata Temple, Nag Vasuki Temple, Anand Bhawan, Khusro Bag, Azad Park.
6. Enjoy cultural programs at cultural pandals like Kalagram, Kalakumbh, UP Darshan Mandam..all in the closed vicinity.
Stay Options:
1. Hotels/Homestays in the main city
2. Tents in the Tent City by UPSTDC or private players
3. If you have any contact information of the sadhus from Akhada, you may book tents for a longer stay in the Akhada area. They have paid tents for the devotees.
4. If you want to do it free, bring your winter clothes and blankets. You can sleep in the large covered tents with hundreds of other devotees. Meals are also available at many places, offering free meals at Bhandara.
Things to do other than the Snan at Sangam:
In addition to the Religious rituals, this time, Kumbh is showcasing the cultural extravaganza of India, particularly from Uttar Pradesh. Many must visit attractions are there in the Kumbh Area to witness the cultural and historical marvels of India. For example:
1. Kalagram, set up by Ministry of Culture, Govt of India in Sector-7 of Kumbh Area: This cultural village is set up in a huge area (approx 10 acre) to to highlight India's spiritual and cultural richness. It is approx 6 km from Sangam, 3 km from Nagvasuki Temple, Daraganj and 2 km from Prayag Junction. The place is well marked at Google Maps as Kalagram (कलाग्राम संस्कृति मंत्रालय भारत सरकार).
This cultural village will showcase art, heritage, food and performances, while bringing together thousands of artists from several parts of the country. Within the venue, five stages—including the primary Kalagram stage and the Ganga Pandal—are set to feature over thousands of artists during the Mahakumbh.
Ganga Pandal will have the capacity of at least 10000 people and have the performance from the renowned people like Shankar Mahadevan, Mohit Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Hans Raj Hans, Hariharan, Kavita Krishnamurthy etc.
As of now, entry is free in Kalagram. They may charge a nominal fee later on.
2. Kala Kumbh set up by Sanskriti Vibhag, Govt of UP in Sec-7: Adjacent to the Kalagram, this pandal will showcase the cultural diversity of Uttar Pradesh. It includes a gallery showcasing photographs, replicas, monuments from Uttar Pradesh, protected heritage sites, manuscripts, and artifacts, along with a stage for cultural performances. A detailed section is dedicated to the history of Kumbh. Entry Fee.
3. Uttar Pradesh Darshan Mandapam set up by Tourism Dept, Govt of UP in Sec-7: This pandal explains the various tourist circuits like Ramayana Circuit, Krishna Brij Circuit, Bundelkhand Circuit, Buddhist Circuit etc from the state of UP. The main pavilion exhibits a grand depictions on the religious sites from Uttar Pradesh. Visitors can also enjoy the taste of Uttar Pradesh at many food stalls. Entry Free.
4. Digital Mahakumbh Experience Center near Shri Bade Hanuman ji Temple, Sangam Area:
This center digitally portrays the mythological stories behind the Mahakumbh Mela AI, VR/AR, LiDAR technology, LED displays and holograms. It's all together a different experience. As of now, entry fee is ₹ 50. Expect big crowd as the Mahakumbh progress.
5. Shivalaya Park, Arail (Naini Side, opposite bank of Yamuna River): It's a religious park set up in a large area. The park has the replica of 12 Jyotirlingas and many Shiva temples from the country. Entry Fee is ₹ 50.
Other notable pandals include the Acharya Shivir of Swami Kaliashananda, the ‘Mahamnadleshwar’ of Niranjani Akhara and the pandal of Shri Ashutosh Maharaj. While other Akharas are concentrated near Sangam, few notable sadhus/mahatmas are having their grand pandals far away from the main Sangam Area. Approx 6-7 km in this case near Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple, Govindpur, Salori.
Update on Mahakumbh, 2025 after first Amrit Snan/Shahi Snan (Makar Sankranti):
1. All estimates of the arrival of devotees were shattered. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, the administration had estimated that about two crore people would come, but by evening more than three and a half crore people had arrived and still counting till late night.
2. The arrangements collapsed due to more than the anticipated crowd. At one place, the crowd also broke the barricades and entered in restricted area, due to which the royal bath was delayed by an hour. Still, the situation remained under control.
3. The entry of vehicles into the city was controlled to a large extent (almost a ban on outside vehicles). Despite the shuttle buses from the designated parking, devotees have to walk at least 10 km. Auto drivers are charging arbitrary fares. It is common to walk 8-10 km on the occasion of Shahi Snan.
4. As per the railway's pre-determined plan to run additional trains on demand, the railway had to run 46 on-demand trains.
5. Thousands of people had to spend the night roadside due to lack of space in the shelters built at the railway station.
6. There is severe cold and fog in Prayagraj. Due to fog, most of the trains reaching Prayagraj are running 5-10 hours late. More than 4000 people have fallen sick due to severe cold, 6 devotees have died, more than 200 people have been separated from the families. This number may seem less in the crowd of crores, but every life is important.
7. The maximum crowd in Prayagraj gathers on the Amrit Snan of Mauni Amavasya (29 January). Learning lessons on Makar Sankranti, the administration has decided to implement the zonal plan on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. Under this, entry of outside vehicles will be restricted in the city from two days before till one day after Mauni Amavasya. Those coming from Varanasi will be allowed to take bath at Jhunsi, those coming from Lucknow will be allowed to take bath at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Govindpur and then Phaphamau when the crowd increases. Those coming from Mirzapur, Rewa will be allowed to take bath at Arail and those coming from Kanpur will be allowed to take bath at Sangam. Bathing in the Ganga river will be restricted on the left side of Sangam. Barricading will be strengthened and this plan will be strictly implemented.
Note: The source of all this information is the local newspaper.
Except the Shahi Snan, everything is fine on the other days. It's still very well managed and as per the expectations. The efforts of the administration and volunteers are worth appreciating. But, if you are coming to Prayagraj on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, then come with full preparation. Come with the intention of walking 10 km. If there is a lot of crowd and cold, then take special care of the elderly and children. May Maa Ganga fulfill all your wishes in the journey from end to eternity.
