Managing Millions: Transport, Infrastructure, and Challenges at Maha Kumbh Mela 2025
07-04-2025
Abstract
The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj attracted over 400 million pilgrims, driving major advancements in transportation infrastructure, including expanded rail services, increased bus fleets, and sustainable mobility solutions. Despite these efforts, mobility challenges persisted, with extensive walking distances, congestion, and a tragic stampede on Mauni Amavasya exposing gaps in crowd management. The event underscored the need for advanced mobility strategies, including AI-driven traffic management, improved last-mile connectivity, and public awareness initiatives to ensure safer and more efficient large-scale events in the future.
Introduction: Cultural and Urban Significance of Maha Kumbh Mela (2025)
The Maha Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world and holds immense cultural, economic, and urban significance in Hinduism. Every 12 years, it is celebrated in one of the four cities – Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and/or Nashik – wherein millions of pilgrims travel to the place, transforming its urban landscape temporarily and influencing the long-term city development (Yadav et al., 2024). Cities like Prayagraj witness significant land-use changes as their agricultural and fallow land are converted into temporary settlements and infrastructures. Government-led initiatives such as road expansion, airport construction, increased public transportation services, smart city planning, and so on facilities have been focused on and improved for faster and safer communication and connectivity (Srivastava, 2016).
The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela also attracted millions of pilgrims from across India and abroad, not only serving as a spiritual significance but also acting as a major catalyst for socio-economic transformation, especially in the sector of public transportation and mobility (Chettiar, 2025). An estimated influx of 600 million attendees necessitated a robust and efficient transportation network. Indian railways took extensive measures, including deploying over 1500 special trains to facilitate pilgrims travelling to and from Prayagraj. The scale of the operation underscored the indispensable role of the Indian railway service/ transport in managing large-scale human mobility (Rajagopalan, 2025).
In addition to rail transportation, the aviation sector also witnessed a significant surge in passenger demand. Air travel to cities such as Lucknow, Varanasi, and Prayagraj had increased by approximately 40%, with flights operating at full capacity. The increased percentage contributed to an estimation of ?5000 crore (i.e., roughly $600 million) to the aviation industry, demonstrating an extensive economic impact of the Maha Kumbh Mela on India's air travel services (Sharma, 2025). On the ground, public and private transportation services, such as state-run buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws, experienced an unprecedented demand. The revenue generated by these services is projected to reach approximately ?30000 crore (i.e., approximately $3.6 billion), highlighting the critical role of local mobility solutions in supporting such large-scale events’ logistics and economic footprint (Sharma, 2025).
The state government had undertaken several significant infrastructure development projects to ensure smooth mobility during the Maha Kumbh event. Investments were directed towards road network expansion, pedestrian-friendly zones, and temporary bridges to manage pilgrims' movement effectively. Large-scale parking facilities have also been established to accommodate private vehicles, reflecting the comprehensive urban planning efforts aimed at reducing congestion and ensuring efficient crowd control and management (Economic Times, 2025).
For a comparative analysis of Maha Kumbh Mela 2013, which was also held in Prayagraj, 2025 Mela witnessed significant advancements in public transportation and mobility. In 2013, Maha Kumbh Mela saw an estimated population of 120 million pilgrims who visited over 55 days, which placed immense pressure on the transport sector. Indian railways had operated over 1000 special trains to manage the influx of pilgrims; however, overcrowding, delays, and many more inefficiencies in managing the transport services created a significant challenge. The road network experienced severe congestion due to the high volume of both private and public vehicles, which exacerbated the inadequate transport infrastructure. Safety concerns also arose due to the incidence of stampedes, which highlighted the need for improved crowd management and transport planning (Rajagopalan, 2025).
In contrast, the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela hosted an attendee of over 400 million population with a substantial improvement in transport infrastructure. Over 1600 new buses and train routes were introduced, marking a 378% increase in bus services in comparison to previous years. Indian railways responded by operating approximately 13000 train services, including 3,134 special trains to cater for the heavy influx of pilgrims (TTW, 2025). The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) deployed at least 7000 saffron-coloured buses, including 200 air-conditioned units specially designed for the event. Innovative measures, including the introduction of hydrogen-powered buses by NTPC, exemplified the government's commitment to sustainable transportation during such a huge event (TTW, 2025). The government and private institutes (such as Green Cell Mobility) introduced 40 and 200 electric buses, respectively, to enhance environmental sustainability and an approach towards eco-friendly solutions (Economic Times; Sharma, 2025). Other infrastructure developments, such as the expansion of road networks, including 4- and 6-lane highways, were improved for good connectivity and reduced congestion. Additionally, the main event site had been expanded from 3200 hectares to 4000 hectares, wherein 1850 hectares were allocated for parking, enabling better vehicle management. Also, the deployed buses connected the attendees from the parking zones to the main sites, facilitating smoother traffic flow and reducing bottlenecks (Sharma, 2024).
However, through the recalling of some of the devotees who went to Prayagraj, a mobility challenge in terms of extensive walking was required to reach the main prayer site. Due to traffic restrictions, devotees had to walk approximately 15-20 kilometres from the designated parking zones. Private vehicles were rerouted and parked around 5-7 kilometres away from the main site, as the primary roads experienced severe congestion from both incoming and outgoing traffic. Also, people who had their private vehicles near or around the site had made special passes authorised by the state government, allowing them to travel within the city of Prayagraj. To prevent overcrowding within the city, authorities established temporary bus stands on the periphery instead of utilising the main city bus terminals. They were kept closed for the whole of the event. Similarly, the train services were adjusted, with trains stopping at Naini railway station, Subedar Ganj railway station, etc., located approximately 3.5 to 8.5 kilometres away from the main site, to ease congestion.
Despite these measures, mobility management faced critical shortcomings, particularly on Mauni Amavasya, a significant day in Hinduism that attracts a massive influx of devotees. Inefficient crowd control led to a stampede, resulting in injuries and distress among the attendees. Many individuals recounted the traumatic experiences of being caught in the sudden surge of people while returning from the prayer site. Visible injuries, including bruises on hands and legs, further underscored the gaps in crowd management and emergency response. According to the official reports, at least 30 fatalities and approximately 60+ injuries were confirmed. However, locals suggest that the death toll is higher than what has been reported, with estimation reaching up to 70+ deaths (Petersen, H.E., 2025).
The challenges observed during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj underscored the critical need for a well-integrated public transportation and crowd management system during large-scale gatherings. Addressing the mobility and safety concerns necessitates a strategic focus on enhancing mobility infrastructure, crowd management, technological interventions, and sustainable solutions. Developing integrated transport hubs that seamlessly connect rail, bus, and pedestrian pathways can minimise congestion and facilitate smoother transitions. Improving last-mile connectivity via expanded shuttle services, electric rickshaws, and pedestrian-friendly pathways can also help decrease the strain on devotees required to walk long distances. Implementing smart parking solutions, including real-time parking management with digital displays may guide private vehicles efficiently to designated zones and alleviate congestion around key sites.
Crowd management strategies should be more advanced, employing GPS-based tracking and AI-powered traffic systems to monitor crowd density and predict congestion at critical points, especially during significant pooja days. Dynamic crowd control protocols may be put in place swiftly redirecting crowds through alternate routes or temporary pathways when necessary. Educating pilgrims through public safety campaigns on safe crowd movement protocols is essential to decreasing the risk of accidents. Moreover, the installation of clear, visually effective signage at strategic sites shall enhance crowd navigation and safety.
Establishing robust emergency communication networks shall further ensure the rapid dissemination of safety instructions and mobility alerts during peak hours. Promoting sustainable mobility solutions is also crucial for minimizing the environmental impact of large-scale events. Increasing the deployment of electric and hydrogen-powered buses and encouraging carpooling and ride-sharing shall reduce the volume of private vehicles. Integrating eco-friendly options aligns with sustainable urban development goals and supports a cleaner environment.
Efficient management of large-scale events requires comprehensive inter-agency coordination and stakeholder engagement. Collaborative planning involving municipal authorities, transportation agencies (both government and private), event organizers, local communities and people around the main sites is vital for creating unified strategies. Community participation plays a major role in managing crowd flow and providing guidance to visitors. Through these measures, future large-scale events such as Maha Kumbh Melas and/or other gatherings may be more effectively managed to ensure safety, mobility and environmental sustainability.
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