Students ply two-wheelers to become pilgrims' lifeline at Maha Kumbh

Prayagraj: Young locals on motorcycles and scooters are ferrying pilgrims through massive crowds at the Kumbh Mela religious festival, creating a lucrative temporary business for students.

The sea of devotees heading to Triveni Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, has paralysed regular taxi and rickshaw services from the railway station and airport, with journeys taking several hours.

This has spawned an impromptu two-wheeler taxi service, with vehicles ranging from motorcycles to scooters of different brands operated by both male and female college students. The service charges range between Rs 100 and 1,000 per ride.

"I saw people stuck in traffic for hours and decided to help them," said Vijay, a law student who turned his motorcycle into a taxi.

"Most of the college students are riding the bike taxi and earning Rs 3,000-5,000 a day," said Peter, an unemployed postgraduate who joined the enterprise. He plans to resume job hunting after the festival ends.

Even Lal Bahadur, an Army man on leave from Ladakh, joined the enterprise. "It's a win-win situation for myself and devotees," he told PTI, noting he covers his fuel costs while helping pilgrims.

Government employee Poonam, who travelled from Delhi, paid Rs 500 for a motorcycle ride to reach Sangam. "There was a huge crowd... I reached Sangam, took a dip and am returning to Delhi the same day," she said.

While some pilgrims welcome the service, others criticise the high fares, choosing instead to walk with their luggage to take the holy dip.

The Maha Kumbh started on January 13 and will end on February 26, the Maha Shivaratri day. Over 50 crore people have taken a dip in the sacred waters of Triveni Sangam so far.