Prayagraj:

Swami Kailashnand Ji Maharaj on Wednesday confirmed that Laurene Powell, wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, will attend the upcoming Maha Kumbh 2025 in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

Speaking to ANI, he said that they have given Laurene Powell a Hindu name, ‘Kamala.’.

“She is coming to visit her guru here. We have named her Kamala and she is like a daughter to us. This is the second time she is coming to India… Everyone is welcome in Kumbh,” he said.

He said that Powell is coming for her personal program, “She is coming here to meditate.”

When asked about whether Powell will be added to the Akhara’s Peshawai, he said, “We will try to include her in the Peshwai. We will leave it to her to decide. She will tour this Kumbh and meet the seers here. She will also feel good. we will also feel good that those who don’t know much about our traditions want to learn.”

“Most people in the world are under the guidance of some guru. Many people are coming to Kumbh; some are coming for their personal program,” he added.

“This is a religious mela; people from around the world and India visit Maha Kumbh to seek blessings,” Swami Kailashnand Ji Maharaj stated.

Earlier Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that all the preparations for the Mela had been completed.

“All the arrangements for the Maha Kumbh have been completed… We are meeting all the saints and sages who have come to Prayagraj on the occasion of the Maha Kumbh, taking their blessings and thanking them for coming to the Maha Kumbh. It is our responsibility to ensure that all the saints do not face any problems… Everyone is welcome… All arrangements have been completed,” he said.

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya assured that the devotees would witness and divine and grand Kumbh this time.

“Very divine and grand preparations have been made for the divine, grand, green Kumbh of Prayagraj… We are waiting for January 13… Complete arrangements have been made to welcome everyone and ensure their safe bath… I have seen the Kumbh of 2013 and its chaos and have also seen the good management of the Ardh Kumbh of 2019, ” he said.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday applauded the efforts of Prasar Bharti in launching a special radio channel, ‘Kumbhvani,’ especially for the Maha Kumbh, which is scheduled to commence on January 13. He said that the radio channel will make Kumbh Mela accessible to those living in remote areas of the country, where the connectivity issues still persist.

“We will deliver all information about the Maha Kumbh to those living in remote villages via these facilities. We can broadcast the happenings in Maha Kumbh so that people living in remote areas experience the same,” CM Adityanath said while speaking at the inaugural event in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

The Maha Kumbh is being celebrated after 12 years, and over 45 crore devotees are expected for the event. During the Mahakumbh, devotees will gather at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, to take a holy dip. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26.

The main bathing rituals (Shahi Snan) of the Kumbh will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prayagraj:

The Uttar Pradesh government has extended invitations to popular artists from across the country including singer Shankar Mahadevan Mohit Chauhan, Shaan and Kailash Kher to perform at the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, according to Ministry of Culture press release.

The grand cultural event will take place from January 16 to February 24 in Prayagraj, with an impressive lineup of popular artists from various fields.

The festivities will begin with a performance by Mahadevan on the opening day, while Mohit Chauhan will close the event with his soulful music on the final day. Throughout the Maha Kumbh, several acclaimed artists, including Kailash Kher, Shaan Mukherjee, Hariharan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kavita Seth, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, Shovana Narayan, Dr. L Subramaniam, Bickram Ghosh, Malini Awasthi, and many others, will perform at the event while creating a mesmerizing spiritual environment for the devotees, said Ministry of Culture in a press release.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Prayagraj to review the preparations for the Maha Kumbh. He visited various akharas and met sadhus.

During his visit, the CM also took the ‘Nishadraj’ cruise in the Sangam ghat area and reviewed preparations. He was accompanied by officials during the visit.

Earlier, speaking about the security and safety arrangements, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that the administration has deployed 125 ambulances that have been equipped with 15 advanced life support (ASL) systems, which extend basic life support in case of emergency.

“One hundred and twenty-five road ambulances have been equipped with 15 Advance Life Support (ALS). Additionally, air ambulances and seven river ambulances have also been deployed. Of the seven river ambulances, you will get to see one of them being deployed today and the rest will be stationed from tomorrow. The government has made proper arrangements to deal with any kind of situation,” Pathak told ANI.

Inspector General of Police, Prayagraj Tarun Gaba on Wednesday said that a 7-layer security scheme is being implemented to avert any untoward incident in the mass religious gathering.

“Mahakumbh 2025 is the biggest gathering of humanity… We are committed to providing good arrangements here and the Mahakumbh festival should be celebrated in a very safe and orderly manner… We are ensuring impenetrable and foolproof security here. We have implemented a 7-layer security scheme in which people will be checked and suspicious persons will be identified at different levels. We are also coordinating with different agencies including state and centre agencies,” Tarun Gaba said.

“We are also trying to utilise AI-enabled cameras and using a total of 2700 cameras. And we are taking all necessary action to ensure a safe and secure completion of Maha Kumbh,” he added.

The Mahakumbh is being celebrated after 12 years, and over 45 crore devotees are expected for the event. During the Mahakumbh, devotees will gather at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, to take a holy dip believed to absolve sins and grant moksha (liberation). The Mahakumbh will conclude on February 26.

The main bathing rituals (Shahi Snan) of the Kumbh will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prayagraj:

As Prayagraj gears up to welcome thousands of devotees, seers and sages for the Maha Kumbh Mela, the local resorts have decided to focus on the eco-friendly aspects by opting Bamboo Cottages for accommodations.

Alarkpuri Resort is one such standout attraction which has introduced bamboo cottages crafted from Assam’s Murli bamboo, blending tradition with modern amenities.

The resort’s operational manager, Aditya Singh, emphasized the importance of sustainability, urging guests to support the “Zero Waste” and “Green Kumbh” initiatives by avoiding the use of plastics.

Speaking about this initiative with ANI, Aditya Singh highlighted the need to create bamboo accommodation because of the flooding issue in Prayagraj.

“All the structures in Prayagraj get flooded every year and collapses. Because of this reason, we thought about building a permanent structure, so we went back to Assam for a permanent structure and saw the concept of Bamboo from Assam. Then it took six to seven months to make the structure and it was ready today,” Singh said.

The Bamboo used to build the cottages was brought from Assam, generating employment both in Assam and Uttar Pradesh, Singh informed.

“For this, we have hired some of the experts of Assam and those people brought the Bamboo in their trucks and made them here, due to which employment was generated in Prayagraj as well and it happened in Assam and I am also saying this fact from Maha Kumbh to the whole of India. There has been an employment generation and an economy has also got a base,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Peshwai of the ‘Anand Akhada’ has arrived in Prayagraj to attend Maha Kumbh which is scheduled to begin from January 13.

The Anand Akhada camp began its journey from the Anand Akhada headquarters in Allahpur in Prayagraj and entered the Mela through Daraganj.

Anand Akhada worships ‘Suryanarayana’, the Sun God, as their presiding deity. The Akhada is also known for setting up educational institutions that teach Hindu scriptures, yoga, meditation, and martial arts.

The Maha Kumbh, held once every 12 years, will conclude on February 26. The main bathing rituals (Shahi Snan) of the Kumbh will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mahakumbh Nagar:

The Uttar Pradesh Police have taken a significant step towards attaining a digital Mahakumbh by implementing a fully biometric attendance system for its personnel.

Shifting from traditional paper-based records, the attendance of police personnel deployed for the grand event will now be recorded digitally, thereby saving time and facilitating maintenance of records.

All police personnel assigned duty for the Mahakumbh-2025 are being trained for their roles at the event. Their attendance during the ongoing training sessions is recorded biometrically, saving time and simplifying record management.

Around 50,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure the safety of an estimated 40 crore devotees participating in the Mahakumbh-2025.

SSP Kumbh Mela, Rajesh Dwivedi, emphasised the importance of ongoing training, which covers soft skills, disaster management, and geographical awareness of the event site.

He noted that biometric attendance not only saves time but also enhances record accuracy.

“Earlier, it was difficult to maintain a traditional register for attendance, but digital attendance has freed us from these hassles,” he remarked.

The first and second phases of training, involving over 10,000 police personnel, have already been completed, while the third phase is currently underway. Personnel from nearly all districts of Uttar Pradesh have arrived for duty in the Mahakumbh.

Their complete details have been securely stored in the biometric system, ensuring proper monitoring and management of the workforce during the event.

Maha Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest public gathering, will see devotees taking a holy dip of faith in river Ganga, for over a month-long period from January 13 to February 26.

Notably, the Kumbh Mela is a religious pilgrimage, celebrated four times over the course of 12 years. Its geographical location spans over four locations in the country and the Mela site keeps rotating between one of the four pilgrimages on four sacred rivers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prayagraj:

The Maha Kumbh Mela Authority and the police department have established a high-tech computerized lost-and-found registration centre utilizing AI technology, which is commonly referred to as the 1920 Center.

This centre will help lost pilgrims reconnect with their families and friends. It will offer digital registration for lost pilgrims at all locations.

Giving information about the computerized lost-found centre built on AI technology, Sector Magistrate Gyan Prakash said, “This time, the goal is to make the Kumbh a divine, grand, and digital experience. A computerized lost-and-found centre has been established, fully utilizing AI technology. This technology allows us to search in various ways, such as checking how you looked 10 years ago compared to now or matching your photo with images on social media. People from different parts of the country will come to the Maha Kumbh, speaking a variety of dialects. During this event, their language will be translated into Hindi or English through computerized systems. A designated area will be available for lost individuals to stay, featuring halls with approximately 100 beds. If children become separated from their families, a toy centre has also been set up for them to enjoy while they wait.”

“In addition, a team of doctors at the centre will provide psychological support. If someone is unable to see their relatives for an extended period and feels anxious about it, the team will offer counselling services to help them cope,” he added.

According to officials, there will always be ten people present for registration at the centre. A reunion desk has been established, along with a police desk for assistance. In the event, if someone gets lost, the local police station will be contacted to help locate the person. Once found, the police will verify their identity and safely return them.

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. 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.

Pilgrims flock to the Sangam–the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers–to take the holy dip believed to absolve sins and grant moksha (liberation). The Mahakumbh Mela is expected to host over 45 Crore visitors, marking a historic occasion for India.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)