Maharashtra factors in Prayagraj’s experience ahead of Nashik Kumbh

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has factored in the experiences of the recently-concluded Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and is planning to set up special authority to oversee the preparations of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik, which is scheduled in 2027.

“Like the way more people came for the Prayagrag Kumbh…we are expecting more people to come for Nashik Kumbh,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.

The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha - held along the Godavari river - would be held between 14 July to 25 September 2027. 

The place of the festivities are Trimbakeshwar, which is among the 12 Jyotirlingas and Panchvati in Nashik city. 

As part of the arrangements, Fadnavis undertook a review and also visited the Trimbakeshwar temple.

Fadnavis also announced a Rs 1,100 crore development plan for Trimbakeshwar. 

Fadnavis was accompanied by state Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan, who is the guardian minister of Nashik district and state School Education Minister Dada Bhuse. 

He also said that a Kumbh Mela Authority to be set up for his a law would be made. “We will bring in a bill in the Maharashtra legislature,” the CM told reporters. 

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.

"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.

Describing the upcoming event in Nashik as a "Kumbh of faith and technology", Fadnavis highlighted that the integration of artificial intelligence, crowd management systems, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools will offer an immersive experience for attendees."The event will be held across 300 acres, significantly smaller than the 7,500 hectares of Prayagraj," he said.