Chief Minister reviews tourism development projects for Prayagraj Mahakumbh, Ayodhya Dham, and Naimisharanya Dham with Union Tourism and Culture Minister

● On Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat conducted a review of the ongoing and proposed tourism development projects for Prayagraj Maha Kumbh, Ayodhya Dham, and Naimisharanya Dham in Lucknow. The meeting was attended by the state’s Chief Secretary and various departmental Additional Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries, who presented progress reports on projects within their respective departments and received guidance. Senior officials from both the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, along with the State Government’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, were also present at the special meeting.

● The Chief Minister emphasized that the upcoming Prayagraj Maha Kumbh, set to take place this year after a 12-year interval, will be more divine and grander than all previous Kumbh festivals. This ‘intangible cultural heritage of humanity’ will showcase to the world the rich traditions of Sanatan Indian culture, its diverse social fabric, and the deep-rooted faith of the people.

● The Chief Minister highlighted that while the 2019 Kumbh involved the cooperation of 5,721 institutions, around 10,000 institutions are now actively participating in the upcoming Maha Kumbh. Comprehensive arrangements are being made for the convenience of devotees in the Maha Kumbh Mela area, which is divided into 25 sectors spanning 4,000 hectares. The preparations include 12 km-long ghats, parking facilities across 1,850 hectares, 450 km of checkered plates, 30 pontoon bridges, 67,000 street lights, 1,50,000 toilets, 1,50,000 tents, and over 25,000 public accommodations. Additionally, a special action plan has been developed to ensure security and convenience during key bathing festivals such as Paush Purnima, Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, Basant Panchami, Magh Purnima, and Mahashivratri.

● The Chief Minister updated the Union Minister on the ongoing tourism development projects at various holy sites, including the Hanuman Mandir Corridor, Akshayvat Patalpuri, Saraswati Koop, Bhardwaj Ashram, Dwadash Madhav Temple, Shivalaya Park, Dashashwamedh Temple, and Nagvasuki Temple. He directed the officials to ensure that all these projects are completed by November 30 without fail.

● The Chief Minister affirmed the state government’s commitment to providing every devotee with the opportunity to bathe in the uninterrupted and clean waters of the Ganga during the Maha Kumbh. He emphasized that zero discharge into the river is being strictly enforced to maintain its purity.

● During the review of the action plan for Prayagraj Mahakumbh, the Union Minister praised the comprehensive approach taken under the Chief Minister’s leadership. He noted that the plan encompasses all the essential elements required for the grandeur and success of a global event. After assessing the progress of projects from various departments, including Urban Development, Irrigation, NHAI, Tourism, and Culture, he expressed confidence that all the work would be completed on schedule.

● The Union Minister emphasized that in a large-scale event like the Maha Kumbh, four key elements—information, cleanliness, communication, and security (suchna, swacchta, sanchar aur suraksha)—are crucial and should be addressed with a comprehensive approach. He highlighted that ensuring accurate information for everyone, maintaining an efficient sanitation system across the entire area, establishing a robust communication network, and prioritizing the safety of all attendees will be the main pillars for making Mahakumbh a successful event.

● The Union Minister stated that Mahakumbh 2025 presents a significant opportunity to elevate tourism in Uttar Pradesh. He recommended developing an app to assist foreign tourists during the Mahakumbh, which should include barcodes on signage that can be scanned to provide information about specific locations and various areas within the fair. He also suggested that the Mahakumbh app feature a convenient one-touch help system for the police helpline. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of displaying the QR code for the Mahakumbh app at all airports, railway stations, bus stations, and major locations across the country.

● The Union Minister highlighted that visitors attending the Mahakumbh will likely be interested in exploring other tourist destinations beyond Prayagraj, and Uttar Pradesh has significant potential in this regard. He noted that a tour plan should be developed by the tourism department to capitalize on this interest. The focus should be on identifying important yet lesser-known places in the state from a tourism perspective and actively working to attract tourists to these destinations.

● The Union Tourism Minister emphasized the importance of including new tourist destinations from Uttar Pradesh in the Swadesh Darshan Yojana of the Government of India and urged that a proposal for this should be submitted as soon as possible.

● Union Minister Shekhawat stated that the Union Culture Ministry is making arrangements to showcase the diverse culture of India during the Maha Kumbh. He emphasized that for effective organization, it would be beneficial for the various cultural programs planned in the fair area to be coordinated collaboratively between the Union Tourism Ministry and the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department. To facilitate this, he suggested forming a committee to ensure better coordination between the Culture Department of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of India’s Culture Ministry. Additionally, he directed that all cultural events at the Mahakumbh be widely publicized and stressed that the venues for these programs should be easily accessible to maximize attendance from devotees and tourists.

● During the review of tourism development projects in Naimisharanya, the Chief Minister stated that the state government has recently established the Shri Naimisharanya Dham Tirtha Vikas Parishad to promote the overall development of this sacred site, known as the holy tapasthali of 88,000 sages. He noted that this is where our sages engaged in the significant task of documenting Sanatan knowledge. The state government is actively promoting all avenues for the development of religious tourism in the area. Naimisharanya has been included under the Swadesh Darshan-2 scheme, and the Chief Minister expressed confidence that the revival of Naimishdham will lead to a rapid increase in the number of tourists and devotees from both the country and around the world.

● The Chief Minister said that to honor Sanatan faith and promote Vedic knowledge, a Veda Science Center will be established at the earliest in the holy Naimisharanya Dham in Sitapur district, with a budgetary provision already made for this initiative. He emphasized that the establishment of the Veda Science Study Center will facilitate efforts to make the knowledge contained in the Vedas and Puranas accessible to the general public.

● The Chief Minister stated that a plan is being developed to operate the tourist accommodation house located at Neemsar on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. This initiative aims to enhance convenience for tourists while also contributing to revenue generation.

● The Chief Minister announced that the main entry gates and other access points at Chakratirtha in Naimisharanya-Misrikh are being developed as corridors. He noted that the Maa Lalita Devi Complex is under construction, with the Tourism Department overseeing all fixed project works, including the entrance pavilion, visitor facility center, altars for Aarti, and the Mahadev temple in Misrikh, as well as improvements to the ashram premises for devotees. Additionally, renovations are being carried out at Sitakund, Yatri Bhawan, and tourist accommodations. A heliport is also being built for the convenience of tourists and devotees. Both the Union Minister and the Chief Minister instructed that all construction works be completed within the designated timeframe.

● The Union Minister reviewed the progress of the Vision Document 2047 aimed at developing Ayodhyadham. He expressed satisfaction with the initiatives being undertaken for ‘Navya Ayodhya’ and underscored the importance of timely execution of the projects.