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The Maha Kumbh will begin on January 13, coinciding with Paush Purnima, and conclude on February 26, marking Mahashivratri.
New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Sunday, Dec 8, that Indian Railways would operate around 13,000 trains, including 3,000 special services and 10,000 general running trains, to accommodate the influx of devotees attending the upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela.
The Maha Kumbh will begin on January 13, coinciding with Paush Purnima, and conclude on February 26, marking Mahashivratri. The event is expected to draw millions of pilgrims to Prayagraj. Vaishnaw estimates nearly 1.5 to 2 crore passengers to reach the city by train during the mela.
Drawing on experiences from managing large-scale events like the Ram Mandir consecration in Ayodhya and the Rath Yatra in Puri, Indian Railways has invested over ₹5,000 crore in infrastructure upgrades over the past two years.
During his visit, the Railway Minister inspected various stations and highlighted significant improvements to enhance the passenger experience. He noted the construction of comfortable holding areas at stations where devotees can wait until their trains arrive. These areas feature color-coded signage and ticketing systems to guide passengers to the correct platforms. “Colour coding has been used in the holding areas and tickets so that the devotees can reach the right platform,” said the Union Minister.
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The Minister also introduced the mobile Unreserved Ticket System (UTS) in Prayagraj, a service previously used for the Rath Yatra in Puri. This mobile ticketing facility will help streamline the booking process for unreserved train journeys.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Prayagraj on December 13, 2024, to assess preparations for the upcoming 2025 Maha Kumbh.
Ahead of the Maha Kumbh, the Uttar Pradesh government has designated the area on the banks of the Sangam as Mahakumbhnagar, which has been officially declared a new district.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, celebrated every 12 years, is rooted in ancient Hindu mythology. According to the Rigveda, the event traces its origins to the divine Samudra Manthan (churning of the cosmic ocean), where drops of the elixir of immortality (amrita) fell at four sacred locations, including Prayagraj.
During the Mela, devotees engage in age-old rituals such as sacred river bathing, fasting, and charity, seeking spiritual purification and a path to moksha (liberation). The event’s grandeur and spiritual significance have earned it recognition as one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
The ceremonial first bath at the Kumbh Mela is performed by the mahants (leaders) of India’s 13 akharas (monastic orders), marking the official start of the event.
While the Kumbh Mela occurs every 12 years at four alternating locations (Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik, and Prayagraj), the Maha Kumbh is an even rarer event, celebrated only once every 144 years at Prayagraj, where three rivers—the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati—meet at the sacred confluence known as the Triveni Sangam. It is regarded as a highly auspicious occasion in Hinduism, symbolizing a unique convergence of faith, culture, and global unity.
