The grandest gathering of humanity on Earth, the Maha Kumbh Mela, has begun. Under the clear skies and accompanied by the resonant murmurs of the Ganga, over 50 lakh devotees took the first holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Prayagraj, the venue of the Maha Kumbh Mela, is overflowing with spirituality and devotion.
The millennia-old Kumbh Mela, described as the world’s largest gathering of humanity, is expected to bring over 400 million people to Prayagraj. The Maha Kumbh Mela is spread over an area of about 4,000 hectares. It is expected to provide a major boost to the economic growth of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. The 45-day mega event has a budget of Rs 7,000 crore. But there is a clear answer to why the UP government is spending Rs 7,000 crore on a Hindu festival… the total revenue generated from the Kumbh Mela is Rs 4 lakh crore.
The UP government has stated that the Maha Kumbh Mela is expected to generate revenue of up to Rs 2 lakh crore. In addition, this is the income season for 30% of the people of UP. This is the season for UP in terms of hotels, trade, tourism, lodging, etc. This Maha Kumbh Mela will become a milestone in the economic growth of Uttar Pradesh in 2025.
If each of the 400 million visitors spends an average of Rs 5,000, it will generate Rs 2 lakh crore. The average expenditure per person will go up to Rs 10,000 and the total economic impact will reach Rs 4 lakh crore, the news agency said, citing industry figures. This is expected to boost nominal and real GDP by over 1 per cent.
