Prayagraj

The festivities for Maha Kumbh 2025 have already begun with the devotees participating in morning Ganga 'aartis'.

The 'aartis' are not only limited to the renowned ghats of Prayagraj but can be witnessed all across the flood plains of the Sangam.

Women participated in a special Ganga Aarti at the Triveni Sangam in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj earlier. The ritual also served as a rehearsal for the upcoming Kumbh Mela.

"Today a special aarti was performed. It was a rehearsal for the Kumbh Mela. The boys will perform Triveni Aarti and the girls will perform the Ganga Aarti. We hope that these children performing the Aarti are motivated by everyone... We want to give a message that there are no limitations in Sanatana Dharma," Pradeep Pandey, Prayagraj Teerth Purohit, told ANI.

The Maha Kumbh is being celebrated after 12 years and a huge turnout of devotees is expected in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26. The main bathing rituals, known as the Shahi Snan (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).

To prevent mishaps, the district administration has been taking important steps to ensure the safety of the devotees, especially for crowd management and avoiding fire incidents.

The district administration has inaugurated new fire stations ahead of the Maha Kumbh celebrations, where at least 365 vehicles have been deployed to ensure quick response in case of fire. Moreover, the officials have been asked to carry out awareness campaigns and mock drills so that commoners don't panic in case of a small fire incident.

ADG Fire Padmaja Chauhan said that the officials tasked to spread awareness will also teach the people to handle such fire incidents.

"We have informed the officers to go to the tents, spread awareness and carry out mock drills. If there is any small fire incident, people should not panic. The officers will also teach the people how to handle such fire," she added.

This time, for Maha Kumbh, the administration has opted for technological tools along with the deployment of personnel to ensure the safety of the devotees. Chauhan informed that the administration has increased the manpower and has deployed Quick Response Vehicles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that can run on any kind of terrain, firefighting robots and fire mist bikes.

The administration was also bringing in firefighting boats, which will be ready to be deployed in a week, Chauhan said, adding that the boats will use water from the river to douse the blaze.

Meanwhile, taking a digital leap, the Prayagraj division of North Central Railway has launched an innovative initiative to simplify the ticketing process through modern technology.

During the Maha Kumbh, dedicated railway personnel from the Commercial Department will be deployed at Prayagraj Junction and other key locations. These personnel will be easily identifiable by their green jackets, which will feature a QR code printed on the back.

Pilgrims can simply scan this QR code using their mobile phones to download the UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System) mobile app. This app allows travellers to book unreserved tickets without standing in long queues.

This groundbreaking initiative is set to reduce crowding at railway stations, enabling pilgrims to purchase tickets seamlessly. With digital payment options integrated into the process, it promises to save time and deliver a hassle-free experience for the millions of devotees expected to attend the Mahakumbh.