Prayagraj aka Allahabad, the holy city in Uttar Pradesh, now shares a bond with Namma Bengaluru thanks to the upcoming Ardh Kumbh Mela.
Praygraj, revered by Hindus for the confluence of three rivers — Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati — will host the Ardh Kumbh Mela from January 15, 2019, to March 4, 2019.
Colourful murals are being painted on Prayagraj’s street walls, and some of the artists are from Namma Bengaluru.
“We have no qualms about accepting this fact. It was indeed a positive idea. Many artists from Karnataka are painting the walls there as they have done here in Bengaluru,” UP Health Minister Siddarth Nath Singh said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Many engineers from Bengaluru are also working on various development projects in Prayagraj as part of the Smart Cities Mission.
Singh is among UP ministers travelling to different states to invite politicians and experts to the Ardh Kumbh Mela. He said he would invite Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda to the event.
Singh further said six flights had been launched between Bengaluru and Prayagraj.
“Based on the demand, we will decide on continuing the flight services after the Ardh Kumbh Mela,” he added.
Kannada guides in Prayagraj
Pilgrims from Karnataka can feel close to home in Prayagraj as the UP government has hired guides who can speak Kannada among other languages. Rail Kumbh, a mobile phone app, has also been launched to help plan train journeys to Prayagraj.
Booking accommodation for Ardh Kumbh Mela has also been made easy. The options are varied: from dormitories that start at less than Rs 1,000 per night to tents that cost about Rs 30,000.
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