Chaos, absence of administration mar Mahakumbh 2025

The state of affairs at the Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, hasn't improved much since a 300 km long traffic jam was reported a week ago, as Bhupendra Chaubey and Avanish Tripathi find out during their visit to the pilgrimage site. Last week, news outlets conveyed that as millions of devotees continued to arrive in Prayagraj for the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela, significant traffic congestion immobilised all routes leading to the city.

Team Squirrels saw that this situation hindered pilgrims from reaching the Triveni Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers, in time for their ritual bathing. Additionally, the Prayagraj Sangam railway station remained closed until last Friday due to the overwhelming number of attendees.

Numerous vehicles were observed lined up along Sangam Road, progressing at an extremely slow pace as law enforcement established barricades to facilitate the orderly movement of pilgrims. This road serves as a connection to Civil Lines; alternatively, travellers may opt for the Shastri Bridge route to access Triveni Sangam.

Authority in a tizzy

Authorities in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, reported that advancing towards Prayagraj is unfeasible due to vehicular traffic congestion extending up to 300 km for the celestial event that will not recur before another 144 years.

Since the commencement of the Mahakumbh on January 13, over 430 million devotees have participated in the sacred bathing at the Sangam. The crowd anticipated at the beginning of the event was 44 crore. By the time the month-long festival ends, the footfalls will likely cross those of 55 crore visitors.

In response to the significant challenges faced by passengers attempting to exit the Prayagraj Sangam station amid the overwhelming crowds, the administration decided to temporarily close the station due to the influx of devotees.

Government response

The North Central Railway has instituted a one-way traffic system at Prayagraj Junction station until further notice, in response to the significant influx of devotees.

Amit Malviya, senior public relations officer for the North Central Railway, was quoted by various news outlets as saying that to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers, entry will be permitted solely from the city side (towards platform number 1), while exit will be restricted to the Civil Lines side. He also mentioned that unreserved passengers would be allowed entry through a designated passenger shelter based on direction.

Nevertheless, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw refuted claims regarding the closure of Prayagraj Junction station, advising pilgrims and tourists to disregard rumours.

Pilgrims have raised concerns with the administration regarding the mismanagement of traffic conditions. For instance, some pilgrims travelling from Faridabad experienced a 24-hour journey to reach Prayagraj, while a family from Jaipur expressed their frustration over being stuck for hours attempting to navigate a mere 4 km stretch.

Chaubey and Tripathi reported being caught in a traffic jam for 15 hours, as documented in the video above.