Mega spiritual event Maha Kumbh 2025 will conclude on Wednesday 26 February on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival. Millions of people visited Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for 45 days (starting on 14 January) to take a holy dip at the river Ganga. According to the media reports, the Uttar Pradesh government spent more than Rs 7,500 crore for this extravaganza religious event. On the other hand, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has expected that Maha Kumbh will garner Rs 2 lakh crore in revenue.
With the last ritual bath now completed, the curtains have officially fallen on this but here’s a quick recap of the Maha Kumbh 2025:
1. Spiritual Significance
The Maha Kumbh 2025 is not an ordinary spiritual event but holds a once-in-a-lifetime astrological, historical, and cultural importance. The Kumbh Mela occurs four times in a 12-year cycle at four locations: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. However, what sets the 2025 Maha Kumbh apart is its alignment of celestial bodies, making it a once-in-144-year event.
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2. Massive entry of devotees
A record-breaking tourist footfall was witnessed at Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025. According to media reports, 62 crore devotees attended the large spiritual gathering in 42 days.
3. Eminent personalities attended Maha Kumbh
From billionaire Mukesh Ambani to international singer Chris Martin, a slew of celebrities visited Prayagraj to take a holy dip in the river Ganga. The other renowned people who visited Maha Kumbh were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, billionaire Gautam Adani, actor Anupam Kher, actor Rajkumar Rao, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal, Khel Ratna awardee Dipa Karmakar, boxer Mary Kom, Tibetian leader Dalai Lama, Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of Apple founder Steve Jobs, etc.
4. Maha Kumbh, an opportunity for brands
During the mega confluence of faith and devotion, big brands too tried to seize the opportunity by splurging on advertising and marketing efforts. Banks and fintech companies emerged as the most aggressive spenders in a marketing explosion, followed by consumer goods giants. Brands like Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Britannia Industries, Amul, Dabur, ITC, etc have covered all types of branding, marketing, and CSR activities.
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5. Startups at Maha Kumbh
The 45-day event has also proven fruitful for India’s spiritual startups, who have come away with record-breaking user engagement and sales. For instance, Delhi-based spiritual startup Vama recorded a 50 percent increase in user transactions. The company introduced services like live kathas from the Mahakumbh region, home delivery of Mahakumbh Triveni Gangajal, and daily Mahakumbh chadhava at Triveni Sangam.
Gurugram-based AstroYogi organized a live pooja and saw over 100,000 devotees virtually attending it. Besides, the company reported a 30 percent jump in pooja products in the retail segment.
6. Controversies
The Maha Kumbh was embroiled in several controversies with regard to the management. On 29 January, a stampede occurred in the Sangam area in which 30 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
Another stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station due to the delay in two trains. Passengers were trying to board trains going towards Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh but a ruckus occurred at platform 14 where many people got trapped on the foot overbridge, escalators.
In another controversy, objectionable videos of women bathing at Maha Kumbh were posted online. The Uttar Pradesh police have registered multiple FIRs against at least 140 social media handles for spreading obscene content online.