Maha Kumbh experience is one-of-a-kind, say visitors

Pune: The grand spectacle of devotion and worship at Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj is awe-inspiring for visitors.
"I have never seen anything like this before. I could feel the atmosphere was charged with devotion. Seeing thousands of sadhus, pilgrims, and saints from all over India was an experience in itself. It was surreal. I could hear chanting and rituals being performed very late at night, too," said Sahil Gaikwad, a Kothrud resident, who booked his flights to visit Mahakumbh almost a month in advance.
Delhi resident Geetika Sachdev said, "I went with an open mind to Maha Kumbh, and it served me well. Meeting and photographing Naga sadhus was the highlight of my trip. Taking a dip in Triveni Sangam wasn't part of my initial plan. But seeing the energy all around, I joined in. It is definitely an experience that will stay with me."
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar resident Hitesh Goyal booked connecting flights to make his travel economical. "I intentionally took flights from less crowded routes so that the fare is cheaper. I took a flight from Shirdi-Delhi-Lucknow-Delhi-Aurangabad. The roundtrip airfare cost me Rs 15,000," he said. He also opted for homestays in Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Varanasi.
With flight fares soaring to almost Rs 40,000 for a return trip from Mumbai to Prayagraj and trains already pre-booked, many are taking road trips. "I feel like there is some divine energy that is calling me to Mahakumbh. Flights were too expensive to book, so I have decided to take the bus along with a few friends. It is a 40-hour journey, but I feel that it will be worth it," said Rajesh Biswas, a resident of Kondhwa.
Pallavi Chopra, CMO at redBus, said, "The demand for travel to Prayagraj & UP has exceeded our previous projections, which were high to begin with. Today, the demand for Pune to Prayagraj is 25 times what we witnessed in Dec. Apart from Prayagraj, other high-demand routes from Pune to UP are Pune to Varanasi, which is seeing three times the demand compared to Dec, and Pune to Ayodhya, which is seeing double the growth." Average seat prices of buses headed towards Prayagraj are 6% higher than usual. On a consolidated basis, redBus saw a 150% surge in demand for buses during the snaan dates of Jan 13 and 14, compared to previous days of this Kumbh.
Visitors are also approaching local tour operators to provide them with 2-3 day packages to Maha Kumbh. "We have witnessed an increase in spending by 100% compared to previous Kumbh Mela and an increase in searches by approximately 80% over last 45 days. To cater to the growing demand, we are offering the biggest range of yatras ranging from 2 nights to 5 nights. Given the increased demand, we have also arranged for travel by road as an add-on to our tours, with buses available across pan India," said Rajeev Kale, president & country head, holidays, MICE, visa - Thomas Cook (India) Limited.
Many NRIs are also seeking spiritual tourism experiences and are keen to explore Ayodhya-Varanasi-Prayagraj circuit. Mumbai resident Dr Smita Rawal planned a last-minute trip to Mahakumbh last weekend. "My son is visiting us from the US and was keen to visit the Mahakumbh, so we made last-minute bookings. The dip in Triveni Sangam was a great experience, but one needs to bargain a lot there as everything is over-priced. We have already booked a trip back to Mahakumbh for a tent stay in February," she said.
S.D. Nandakumar, president & country head, holidays and corporate tours, SOTC, said that this year the company has seen the highest ever bookings for Maha Kumbh.
The sheer scale of the event, combined with sense of shared faith and spirituality, makes Maha Kumbh a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those fortunate enough to witness it.