Prayagraj: Visit of over 32 lakh pilgrims and devotees on first day of Magh Mela brought smiles to the faces of UP tourism department officials. After Maha Kumbh-2025, state tourism department is making all efforts to make ‘Sangam city (Prayagraj)’ a prominent religious, historic, and spiritual tourist destination on the global tourism map.Since UNESCO recognised Prayagraj Maha Kumbh as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, tourism department officials claimed there was rapid increase in number of tourists flocking to Prayagraj and adjoining tourist destinations as was evident in the first-day footfall at Magh Mela. As per the Mela administration, over 30 lakh pilgrims and devotees visited the banks of the Ganga on Day 1 of the mela.Based on unprecedented success of Maha Kumbh 2025 and record footfall of devotees and tourists, the administration is working on a detailed roadmap to develop Prayagraj as a global tourist destination. A senior tourism official pointed out, “After the grand celebration of Prayagraj Maha Kumbh 2025, Kumbh city Prayagraj received special recognition on global stage. The tourist footfall in Prayagraj, which was 2.66 crore in 2022, increased to over 69 crore tourists in 2025.”An official said, “This time, the 44-day Magh Mela will not only be a traditional religious event, it will witness a rich display of India’s spiritual and cultural identity and well-organised administrative capabilities.” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken personal note and estimated that over 15 crore tourists or devotees will attend this year’s Magh Mela. This is more than three times the number of attendees at all previous Magh Melas. According to tourism department, number of visitors to Maha Kumbh from Jan 2025 to Sept 2025 was 68,21,50,860. Following the strategy used for Maha Kumbh, Magh Mela was also branded, with an estimated 15–20 crore people expected to attend the 44-day event.State govt has taken initiatives on global branding of Magh Mela. Due to impact of the branding efforts during the Maha Kumbh 2025, and expected increase in number of visitors to this year’s Magh Mela, the budget for the Magh Mela increased to Rs 95 crore, compared to Rs 79.8 crore for the 2024 Magh Mela.The administration also focused on layout and decoration of the mela ground. A senior official said, “Efforts are being made to attract visitors through various mediums, which will be reflected in layout and decoration. The entire area of Magh Mela 2026 will be based on a special theme.”The administration decided that the essence of spirituality will be visible in everything from tent city and ghat decorations to the LED lighting system, cultural stages, thematic parks, welcome gates, art installations and public facilities.
