Kumbh Mela

In view of the forthcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela, the Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Development Authority has given its administrative approval for the expansion of the Nashik (Ozar) airport, officials have said. The chairman of the Authority and divisional commissioner Dr Praveen Gedam has directed that the airport expansion work be completed before March 2027, an official release said on Wednesday. The airport is located about 20 km from Nashik in the Ozar area. It is maintained by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). A meeting of the Kumbh authority was held on Wednesday, during which the administrative approval was given to construct a new integrated terminal building along with ancillary works at an estimated cost of Rs 556 crore. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the state government and HAL for the airport expansion. The expansion will raise the passenger traffic capacity of the airport from 300 per hour to 1,000 passengers per hour, the release ...

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Rajya Sabha that a falling headload triggered the February 15 stampede at New Delhi station, which killed 18 people; ₹2.01 cr compensation paid

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said all roads leading to Nashik will be upgraded ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which will begin on October 31 next year. A high-level meeting concerning the highways connecting Nashik was held in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, a release from the Chief Minister's Office said on Sunday. Considering the large number of devotees and the need for traffic management during the mega congregation in Nashik, Gadkari has given in-principle approval for the development and construction of necessary road infrastructure through his ministry, it said. The Simhastha Kumbh Mela will begin on October 31, 2026, with Dhwajarohan' (flag hoisting) at Trimbakeshwar and Ramkund in Nashik. The flag will be taken down on July 24, 2028, marking the conclusion of the event, which is held once every 12 years. Citing the growing faith of devotees and expected rise in footfall during the Kumbh Mela, Fadnavis ha

After the meeting, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav insisted on developing basic facilities for religious tourism in the entire Malwa region in view of Simhastha Kumbh

Preparations for the 2027 Kumbh Mela in Nashik are progressing at a slower pace than anticipated, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday, describing it as an event of "faith and technology". Speaking at a programme of CII Young Indians in Nashik, Fadnavis acknowledged the challenges in organising the large-scale event but expressed confidence in overcoming them. The chief minister noted that while work on infrastructure is currently behind schedule, the situation is improving. "We started preparations for the Kumbh Mela last year. If we had started the work in 2020, we would have been in a more comfortable position today," he said. Fadnavis credited the efficiency of the team working on the event that has been following a reverse planning strategy and assured that despite the delays, progress was being made, drawing from the experience of the successful Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. "In 2015, Nashik hosted the Kumbh Mela, and after many years, no fatalities were ..

The Opposition criticised the PM for failing to pay his respects to the memory of those who died in a stampede during the Mahakumbh

A new report by the Central Pollution Control Board submitted to the National Green Tribunal has said that as per statistical analysis, the water quality during the recently-concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was fit for bathing. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report said the statistical analysis was necessitated because of "variability of data" in the samples collected from the same locations across different dates and on different locations on the same day, because of which these did not reflect the "overall river water quality throughout the river stretch". The report dated February 28 and uploaded on the tribunal's website on March 7 said the board had conducted water monitoring twice a week from January 12 onwards, including on auspicious bathing days, at five locations on Ganga river and two locations on Yamuna river. "There is a significant variability in the values on various parameters, viz pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and fecal ...

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"My uncle had saved his sister by pulling her out of the river waters by her hair as she slipped below amid the commotion," says city-based advocate Niranjan Lal recalling the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede stories he had heard from his aunt who survived it. This was the first Kumbh in Allahabad after Independence, and the tragic incident took place on February 3 on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. According to official estimates, several hundred had died in the stampede. Seventy-one years later, a stampede took place on January 29, again on Mauni Amavasya day as a massive crowd sought to enter into the Triveni Sangam waters for the 'amrit snan'. Lal, 67, and his wife were camping in a Swiss cottage in Sector 6 of Mahakukbh Nagar, when they got a call from their son at home late night, cautioning them not to go to the Sangam due to the stampede. "We didn't step out from the camp until the sun came out, and at around 11 am, we went to Dashashwamedh Ghat on Ganga, located near Sector 6. The

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a special Rs 10,000 bonus and the 'Maha Kumbh Seva Medal' for 75,000 police personnel who served during the "historic gathering", Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday. The personnel will also receive a one-week phased leave as a token of appreciation for their efforts in managing the grand religious event, he said. Speaking at a special event at the Ganga Mandapam, CM Adityanath praised the police force's patience and discipline, acknowledging the challenging crowd management during the 45-day pilgrimage. "Our personnel were even pushed by people at times but they displayed remarkable resilience and patience," he said. Describing the Maha Kumbh as the world's largest and most historic gathering, Adityanath credited its success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership and the collective efforts of the security personnel. He highlighted how the event seamlessly blended faith and economy, drawing 66.3 crore devotees

The full moon of the Magh month had passed, and all the 'Kalpavasi' who were at the Kumbh had already left after the Purnima of Magh month, Shankaracharya said

The Maha Kumbh, billed to be the world's largest gathering, ends on Wednesday as it began 45 days ago with lakhs of devotees surging towards the waters of the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, for a dip on the auspicious day of Shivratri. The mega religious carnival wound to a close in a montage of images of the stampede that killed at least 30 people, the devout across every spectrum taking a dip in the belief it would cleanse their sins, huge crowds jostling not just at the Sangam but also stations and bus stands in north India and many a political slugfest over contested numbers and how clean the waters were. According to the Uttar Pradesh government, 64.77 crore people have visited Prayagraj since January 13, a number that exceeds the populations of all countries except China and India. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top ministers and film stars were among those who went to the Kumbh. It was a gathering of the faithful

Maha Kumbh 2025 concludes with the final 'snan' on Maha Shivratri, as heavy footfall at Sangam turns Prayagraj into a no-vehicle zone, with security on high alert

Many celebrities reached Triveni Sangam to take a holy dip in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The celebrities include Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif, Rajkummar Rao, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, etc.

Since the last day of Kumbh falls on Mahashivratri, the state government has allowed devotees to visit all the Shiva temples in the city

As of February 23, over 620 million devotees had taken a dip in the sacred Sangam, and on Monday alone, more than 9 million devotees took part in the holy dip by 2:00 PM

India will showcase the best practice for waste management adopted during the Maha Kumbh at the 'Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific' to be held in Jaipur, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Monday. At a press conference, he said 25 countries and 500 delegates will participate in the three-day event starting from March 3. The Maha Kumbh is the world's largest event and people are praising the best practices of waste management being implemented there, the Union minister said. The 45-day religious congregation, which began in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on January 13, culminates on February 26. Over 60 crore people have taken a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam since it started, according to data from the Uttar Pradesh government. The Union minister said the religious congregation is being held on 4,000 hectares of land, an area large enough to accommodate a city. As many as 25,000 people have been deployed at the Maha Kumbh for waste .

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is coming to an end after one and a half months. The authorities remain on high alert, deploying personnel in sensitive areas to ensure security

Devotees at Maha Kumbh overcharged as airfares, hotels, and local transport prices skyrocket by up to 300 per cent, raising concerns over price exploitation

All arrangements should run smoothly...No matter how big the crowd is, we are fully prepared, Mahakumbh Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna said