Maha Kumbh 2025: Destination branding at its best

An Akhara at Maha Kumbh

Tents at a premium

Miles and miles of tents for the masses

‘Toilets Here!’ visual mnemonic​

“The 2025 Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela, also referred to as the 2025 Prayag Kumbh Mela, is the ongoing iteration of the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage festival celebrating a full orbital revolution of Jupiter around the Sun. It is scheduled from 13 January to 26 February 2025, at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the world’s largest gathering, with an estimated 450 million visitors. This event marks the completion of a 12-Kumbh Mela cycle and is officially termed a Maha Kumbh Mela, spanning 45 days. 

The Kumbh Mela has been organised since many years with its commencement date unknown. As per astronomical calculations, the 2025 edition is unique since the constellation alignment seen is witnessed once in 144 years. The site of each Kumbh Mela is decided by the astrological alignment of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon. The Kumbh Mela has been recognised as part of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.” 

– (Wikipedia)

Amidst much anxiety, disbelief and heckles from family and friends on my decision to go to the Kumbh Mela, especially after the widely publicised stampede and much anticipated jostle amongst an estimated 450 million people, I braved the trip to Prayagraj, that truly was a once in a lifetime experience. A visit to Maha Kumbh also made me gleefully tick on a ‘must do’ bucket list of over 20 years. ‘Overjoyed’ is an understatement to describe this unique life experience, where there were so many opportunities to absorb the unknown in spiritual management and aesthetic lessons to be learnt, in the most vibrant ‘colour riot’!

As a marketing professional who has planned and implemented many a large-scale outreach events from a Sri Lankan yard stick, I found the planning and implementation of Maha Kumbh to be simply mindboggling. Hence the thought of sharing some marketing and management marvels I picked up which I thought would be relevant for Sri Lanka, when planning destination events. 

Faith that has no bounds!

It was truly uncanny to see millions of (predominantly) Hindu devotees flowing like endless human rivers, mainly by foot to Kumbh district, just to take a dip in the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, with the belief that this ritual cleanses their sins, liberates from the cycle of re-birth and bring them closer to their spiritual liberation. In the icy cold water, starting from predawn to dusk, men, women and children submerge themselves with such devotion which only absolute faith will make you do. 

While its central feature is Shahi Snan (Royal Baths); the ceremonial baths led by Sadhus, including Naga Sadhus, who are known for covering themselves in ash and symbolising renunciation, the event features spiritual discussions, religious processions, prayers and cultural performances. All in all, for me it was a spiritual-cultural potpourri like no other, being the largest faith based gathering in the world!

Destination marketing at its best

The event was brilliantly curated and promoted by the Government of India to cleverly create a pull, not only from Indians all over the country but those Indians and non-Indians who lived outside of India too. They positioned the event as the ‘largest Hindu festival in the world’ and stressed that Maha Kumbh 2025 was one that comes once in 144 years, due to its planetary formation and auspiciousness, making it the rarest chance to fulfil one’s spiritual aspirations of liberation. The invitation was too good to ignore! The why, who, what and how in strategic communication was brilliantly crafted way ahead of time. The communications fervour only increased as the time got closer.

Pre media frenzy

So much of content was pushed out through media and social media in preparation for the event. Popular spiritual spokespersons such as Sadguru, who has thousands of followers all over the world had many YouTube discussions on the significance of Maha Kumbh. He may well be just one of the many hundreds who took on this task of promoting the event, that wetted the curiosity and desire to experience this year’s mega most awaited event globally. It is undoubtedly a big part of the Government’s destination branding strategy in full swing, with the singing sensation Chris Martin of Coldplay fame also seen to be experiencing the event with his partner. Since the world listens keenly to any news that substantiates credible voices, India lost no opportunity in sharing these moments with the ‘curious world’. Someone whispered to me that Melinda Gates was at an Akhara (monastery at the Kumbh) we visited. I wouldn’t know the truth about this, but this is how news was also spread, by word of mouth.

Precision planning, as God is in the detail!

From my understanding, 65 kilometres of land mass on the two sides of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna, was demarcated and was named the District of Kumbh, with a commissioner appointed in charge of all Kumbh activity. This large area was then broken into smaller administrative sections with each placed under an IPS officer who was in charge of each sectioned area. Under each IPS officer was an army of implementers. All administrative decisions flowed from the Commissioner to each of these officers for implementation. 

Managing the throngs

 While there were a few unfortunate incidents like stampedes and fires, the management of the event was amazing, considering the millions that thronged, who were mostly illiterate people who came from far and wide. While it was the Indian Police force that managed the situation on ground, there was Army and RAF support sought on days where a spike was anticipated, especially during Shahi Snan days. How the entry of the devotees was managed in batches to the ‘Sangam’ area to minimise chaos was noteworthy. It was interesting to also note that the administration had even created four Sangam points to manage chaos and stampede. This was obviously done subtly and sensitively as not to create too much dissent amongst the devotees, who didn’t quite know the difference. 

Accommodation to match wallet share

 The UP government was a main stakeholder in the planning process and had cleverly managed to sectionise the land in 25 areas and then to be christened as ‘sections’ that were tendered to government agencies and other organisations to provide tents, accommodation, transport and F&B for the millions who came in. The accommodation in the form of tents was placed at different price points allowing the poorest to the richest to partake in the rituals according to their wallet size. The beauty was that they both united at the Sangam point simply as ‘Hindu devotees’. There was also provision for the richer visitors who could pay higher accommodation costs to secure a comfortable stay in an area that was named ‘Tent City’ in sector 25, which had comfortable tents and amenities at a cost, which even included helicopter rides to experience Kumbh from the sky! 

Planning for the individual

Planning also included enhanced flights to and from Prayagraj to other cities of India and a ‘protocol service’ that provided easier movement for ‘important visitors’ though quite alien to me, without which I don’t think I could have experienced Kumbh Mela as seamlessly as I did! 

All these logistical nightmares were planned and executed with such precision by my dear friend Ritu Jhingon, who assured me an experience of a life time and stuck to it in every sense of the word! 

Keeping it clean

Planning also included amongst other things, cleaning the venue continuously. At Kumbh Mela I experienced an India that wasn’t dirty and didn’t stink. I personally witnessed a ‘cleaning brigade’ sweeping and washing the streets, immaculate garbage collection and waste management within the Mela venue and the environs, daily after night fall.

So yes, the Clean India Mission (Swach Bharath Abyan) seemed to be working!

One of the most significant features I noticed on the cleanliness drive was the abundance of public toilets in every corner. I even peeped into one just to check its condition and was pleasantly surprised at the clean state it was in. Being a communicator, one of the things that caught my eye at the Mela was the brilliant visual mnemonic in the form of a floral cloth design that was used to communicate the location of the toilets. The beautifully designed cloth covering the row of toilets could be spotted from a mile away! This was truly an innovative idea I brought back with me. With all my gushing of Kumbh, I sometimes wonder if I experienced a different Kumbh in a parallel universe that was cleaner, orderly and so well managed! 

Best in class branding 

Branding for Kumbh took a sharp turn from ‘Kumbh at Allahabad’ to ‘Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj’. No doubt, the subtle name change of the city of Kumbh was significant from a Hinduta as much as a political perspective. Brand equity was built in many forms by differentiating this Kumbh from the previous Kumbh Mela’s cleverly. The brand Kumbh Mela not only drew the devotees and visitors, but also drew thousands of consumer brands that rode on the wave of Kumbh’s brand strength. 

Even big Indian conglomerates such as Reliance, Adhani, SBI was seen with their massive contributions towards the Akhara’s (monasteries), built for the Kumbh in Palace like fashion. Fourteen such Akharas were built at the Kumbh Mela, opening its doors to lodging, food and spiritual discourses for their devotees and scores of other ashram like settings for millions to come and consume the fervour in comfort.

Extension to other areas and economic prosperity

 The economic benefit brought about to the people of Pryagraj and UP as a state, is another big part of this national event. Rivers of devotees spreading towards Varanasi as their final destination after taking the dip, to visit the Kashi Temple was the extension of this faith-based ritual. Planning and managing this overflow too, was undoubtedly a part and parcel of the planning team of this inexplicable phenomenon. 

In absolute numbers, the following have been shared in the public domain – 

Breakdown of expenses 

• Infrastructure: ₹7,000 crore for infrastructure development, including 549 projects
• Environmental conservation: 

₹500 crore

• Security and surveillance: Measures to ensure the safety 

of pilgrims

• Tent city: A 4,000-hectare tent city for pilgrims
• Helicopter services for pilgrims

 Expected revenue

• Officials estimated that the Maha Kumbh Mela would generate ₹25,000 crore in revenue 
• The state government estimated that the average expenditure per person visiting the Mahakumbh could rise to ₹10,000 

 Economic impact

• The Kumbh Mela is expected to boost the country’s nominal and real GDP by over 1 percent

In conclusion, I would rate this as one of a kind experience that did wonders for the country’s image as a destination brand that would easily surpass all other faith-based events in the world. What an event like this does to a country, its people and the political establishment is undoubtedly priceless to say the least. 

(The writer is a marketing communications professional. She 

can be reached via [email protected].)