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Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Top global institutions will cover infrastructure, logistics, economics and the creation of the massive temporary city built for the event in Prayagraj.
Priests perform ‘Ganga Aarti’ at a ‘ghat’ ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj. (Image/PTI)
India is set to host one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. This monumental event, expected to draw millions of devotees from both India and around the globe, will require extensive infrastructure, advanced technologies, safety measures, and a wide range of services to ensure its success.
UNESCO has defined Maha Kumbh as the “largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth.” Hence it is obvious that one might wonder how such a massive event is managed and how authorities plan to meet the needs of such a vast crowd. These are common questions, and the Maha Kumbh Mela is precisely the kind of event that demands an academic approach to explore and address its complexities.
Therefore, more than two dozen prestigious educational institutions from both India and abroad are set to camp in Prayagraj during the event to study various aspects of this monumental gathering. As reported by the Times of India, the Uttar Pradesh government has shortlisted eight different fields and subjects for researchers to explore, opening the event for global participation to enhance the Mela’s future planning and implementation. Harvard, Stanford, the London School of Economics, Kyoto University, AIIMS, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, and JNU are among the top institutions sending professors, research scholars, and students to Prayagraj for the event.
According to the report, researchers will cover a broad range of topics during the studies which are divided into two comprehensive categories. The first category includes studies on the planning and implementation of the Maha Kumbh, such as the infrastructure and logistical challenges in managing a temporary city that accommodates millions. The second category will study the economic impact of the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, including the expenditures of tourists across various sectors like accommodation, food, transportation, and religious activities.
Institutions will also explore the contributions of both the state and central governments in developing infrastructure to support the Mela. Research teams will study the creation of the unique “pop-up city” in Prayagraj which is made of tents, pontoons, and bamboo structures. The temporary city, which will be dismantled post-festival, presents fascinating opportunities to study urban planning, resource management, and the logistics of accommodating a massive influx of visitors in a short time frame.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will conduct a risk assessment and evaluate health system preparedness for emergency medical responses while the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in collaboration with Saksham Strategic Nikshay Abhiyan will study the role of social media at the Maha Kumbh.
The research studies conducted during Maha Kumbh 2025 will provide valuable insights not only for the authorities in managing future events but also for academics and planners worldwide. These studies by renowned Indian and foreign institutions will gather data that will help address the challenges posed by such an extraordinary event, paving the way for more sustainable and efficient large-scale gatherings in the future.
Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Top global institutions will cover infrastructure, logistics, economics and the creation of the massive temporary city built for the event in Prayagraj.
