In preparation for Mahakumbh 2025, a state-of-the-art control room has been constructed in Prayagraj to serve as the nerve center of the grand religious event.
The sophisticated facility, designed with the creative expertise of Bollywood’s renowned art director and architect Pawan Pandey, will play a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless operation of the fair.
Officials will strategise and oversee every aspect of the event from this control room, which is well equipped to monitor every inch of the fairgrounds. The conference hall within the control room will host key meetings for managing the fair’s arrangements, both before and during the event.
Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s instructions, preparations for the world’s largest fair are progressing at an unprecedented pace. Special media blocks are also being set up within the control room to facilitate real-time dissemination of information to the public, ensuring widespread coverage of the event.
Vivek Chaturvedi, Additional Fair Officer of Mahakumbh Nagar here on Wednesday said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is highly enthusiastic about Mahakumbh 2025. “The Chief Minister envisions showcasing Mahakumbh as an example to the world, highlighting why Uttar Pradesh is known as ‘Uttam Pradesh’,” he remarked.
To enhance the beauty of Mahakumbh, teams of renowned artists from across the country are bringing the walls of Mahakumbh Nagar to life with vibrant and creative artwork.
He also shared that the control room will host VIP meetings to ensure proper arrangements for devotees. Additionally, a conference hall and dedicated media blocks are being set up to provide timely and accurate
information to crores of people.
Mumbai-based art director Pawan Pandey, known for his work in films and reality shows, has completed the construction of the control room well ahead of schedule. Built as per CM Yogi’s vision, the control room is designed to ensure maximum security and efficiency.
Decorated with artwork inspired by Prayagraj’s iconic temples and religious sites, the facility is equipped to accommodate a team of over 100 officials who will monitor every activity during the Mahakumbh. From this control room, senior fair officials will oversee the entire event and provide real-time updates to the chief minister. The facility includes specialised cabins for officials to manage various operations, including security, administrative tasks, medical services, and water supply monitoring.
To ensure a smooth experience for devotees from across India and abroad, strategies will be devised from this center. A conference hall has been set up for departmental coordination, and dedicated media blocks are being created to provide accurate and timely updates to the public.
Designed in an L-shape for convenience, the control room offers state-of-the-art amenities for officials and staff, making it a high-tech nerve center for managing the world’s largest religious gathering.
Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department has merged three distinct streams of the Ganga river at Sangam to enhance bathing facilities for millions of devotees expected to attend the upcoming Mahakumbh-2025. Notably, Ganga had changed its course, splitting into three streams between Shastri Bridge and Sangam Nose, impacting her purity and complicating the organization of the Mahakumbh. The division not only limited the fair area but also disrupted arrangements for pilgrims.
With the Irrigation Department’s effort, the river’s original course has been restored, and it is flowing cohesively as a single stream.
The strategic plan was developed by the department to ensure a grand Mahakumbh experience, providing seamless bathing facilities for the anticipated 40 crore devotees.
This unification allows simultaneous bathing by a maximum number of devotees at one centralised location, eliminating the need for bathing at multiple spots.
To turn the plan into a reality, the expertise of IIT Guwahati’s team was sought. Based on their survey report, three massive dredging machines were deployed to streamline and expand the flow of Ganga in the Sangam area, officials here on Wednesday claimed.
Initially, the swift current and high water levels of the river posed significant challenges. Stabilising the dredging machines in the strong flow and merging the two side streams with the central stream proved particularly difficult. To tackle these hurdles, the dredgers were strategically positioned at different points near Shastri Bridge. Simultaneously, sand was needed to expand the fair area.
However, the powerful current repeatedly destabilised the heavy dredgers, causing discharge pipes to bend and making it difficult to control the equipment. To counter this, the team used large anchors, pontoon bridges, and thick ropes secured to the riverbanks to stabilize the machines.
Dredging operations were carried out on a war footing in three shifts. Despite setbacks such as a damaged spud (support pin) on one dredger and another being pushed ashore by the current, the team remained steadfast.
With the guidance of senior officials and unwavering determination, progress continued. Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s advice, a fourth dredger was deployed, significantly enhancing both the speed and quality of the work.
After relentless efforts, the three streams of Maa Ganga were successfully unified into a single flow. This achievement has made the Sangam area more spacious and better organized than ever before.
Approximately 22 hectares of additional space has been created, allowing a large number of devotees to bathe at one central location simultaneously. To level this expanded area, five lakh metric tonnes of sand were arranged, ensuring a well-prepared and accessible fairground for the upcoming Mahakumbh.