Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, described the next year’s Maha Kumbh as a “mahayagya of unity” which would take the spiritual and cultural identity of India to new peaks.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating and launching multiple development projects worth around Rs 5,500 crore here, Modi said such a ‘mahayagya’ of unity would be discussed around the world and also conveyed his best wishes to the people for a successful organization of the Maha Kumbh.

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“A new history is being written on the land of Prayagraj,” he exclaimed.

The Prime Minister pointed out the past neglect of Kumbh and religious pilgrimages by previous governments, stating that despite the significance of these events, devotees faced difficulties. He attributed it to a lack of connection with India’s culture and faith and also reassured the citizens of the deep respect for India’s traditions and faith under the current government, both at the Centre and state level.

Modi said the current governments at both the Centre and state consider it a responsibility to provide facilities for pilgrims attending Kumbh. He noted that thousands of crores have been allocated for various projects, with both Centre and state governments working together to ensure smooth preparations.

Modi highlighted the special emphasis being laid on improving connectivity to Prayagraj from cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Raebareli, and Lucknow, ensuring ease of travel for pilgrims. The prime minister praised the collective efforts of multiple government departments in preparing for the grand event, demonstrating the ‘Whole of the Government’ approach in action.

The prime minister said this time, during the Maha Kumbh, crores of people from different states with different languages, castes, and beliefs would gather at Sangam. He believes that Maha Kumbh is the ‘mahayagya’ of unity, where every kind of discrimination is sacrificed and every Indian who takes a dip in the confluence of rivers here represents a beautiful picture of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat’.

Modi performed puja and darshan at Sangam Nose and then worshipped at Akshay Vata Vriksh followed by darshan and puja at Hanuman Mandir and Saraswati Koop.

He also undertook a walkthrough of the Maha Kumbh exhibition site and inaugurated various projects for Maha Kumbh 2025 including various rail and road projects like 10 new Road Over Bridges (RoBs) or flyovers, permanent Ghats, and riverfront roads, among others, to boost infrastructure and provide seamless connectivity in Prayagraj.

Mr Modi bowed in devotion to Prayagraj, the auspicious land of Sangam, and paid his respects to the saints and sadhus who arrived here to attend the event. He also expressed gratitude towards the employees, shramiks, and safai karamcharis who have made the Maha Kumbh a grand success with their hard work and dedication.

Reflecting on the magnificent scale and size of the Maha Kumbh, he said it is one of the largest gatherings in the world where lakhs of devotees are welcomed daily for the Mahayajna lasting 45 days and a whole new city is set up for the occasion. “India is a land of sacred sites and pilgrimages,” he noted, adding it was a land of rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri, Narmada, and many other innumerable rivers.

Describing Prayag as the confluence, collection, congregation, combination, influence, and the power of the sacred flow of these rivers, the importance of many pilgrimage sites and their greatness, the prime minister said Prayag was not much more than just a confluence of three rivers.