New Delhi: The Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, while attracting massive crowds for Magh Purnima, has been marred by logistical nightmares and inflated prices, leaving many pilgrims struggling to complete the holy dip. One pilgrim’s account highlights the ordeal faced by attendees amid what West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calls “hype” created by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and a lack of adequate arrangements.
“BJP govt created such hype that a large number of people visited Maha Kumbh but proper arrangements not in place,” Mamata said.
Dinesh Rana, who travelled to the Kumbh Mela by bus with friends, endured a two-day journey that should have taken only 10-12 hours, News18 reported. Upon arrival, they found themselves still 20 km from the Sangam coast. Exorbitant transport fares forced them to walk the remaining distance. Reaching the Sangam, they encountered another hurdle, hotel prices had skyrocketed to Rs 5,000 per hour, making accommodation unaffordable. Ultimately, Dinesh and his friends were forced to return home without taking the customary dip, he told News18.
According to the reports, a boat ride to the Sangam, originally priced at Rs 150 per person, has now turned into an expensive luxury. Boatmen are charging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, leaving pilgrims with limited options.
The ordeal didn’t end there. Dinesh described chaotic scenes at the bus stop, with people jostling to board and even attempting to enter through the driver’s seat. Necessities like water and tea were also being sold at inflated prices, he said.
Despite the Uttar Pradesh government’s claims of “elaborate arrangements,” the reality on the ground tells a different story. While officials reported over 1.6 crore people taking a dip by midday Wednesday, the lack of affordable transport, inflated prices, and chaotic scenes paint a picture of inadequate planning and management, devotees who faced trouble said. Even with flower petals showered from helicopters, the core issues affecting pilgrims remained unaddressed, they added.
Although police officials maintain that crowd movement is smooth and SOPs are being followed, the experiences of pilgrims like Dinesh Rana suggest otherwise. “Today is Maghi Purnima and more than one crore people have taken the dip. Our arrangements are quite good and police deployment is there at all places. Crowd is moving comfortably. Our SOPs are being followed,” Maha Kumbh Mela DIG Vaibhav Krishna was quoted as saying news agency PTI.
The massive turnout, fueled by what some perceive as excessive promotion, has seemingly overwhelmed the existing infrastructure and exposed the shortcomings in arrangements.”The movement of devotees is going on smoothly and we are taking care of all (crowd) pressure points. Our arrangements have been further augmented this time, Kumbh SSP Rajesh Dwivedi said,
