Prayagraj Mahakumbh Becoming a Source of Livelihood for Thousands of Rural Women

Women in villages around Mahakumbh Nagar are preparing cow dung cakes and clay stoves

Markets for dung cakes and clay stoves flourishing in Mahakumbh Nagar, becoming a means to enhance women’s livelihoods

There is a special demand for dung cakes and clay stoves in the temporary camps of saints and kalpvasis in Mahakumbh Nagar

The ban imposed by the fair administration on heaters and small LPG cylinders has further increased the demand for dung cakes and clay stoves

Mahakumbh Nagar : The Yogi government is working at a war footing to make the Mahakumbh, to be held on the banks of the Triveni in Prayagraj in January 2025, divine, grand, and safe. This grand confluence of faith and spirituality is also becoming a source of livelihood for lakhs of people. Mahakumbh has created new opportunities to enhance the livelihoods of rural women in villages surrounding Mahakumbh Nagar.

Livelihood for Over 15,000 Women

The Mahakumbh, scheduled from January 13 to February 26, 2025, is providing employment opportunities not only for major industries like hotels, travel, tents, and food but also for small-scale workers. For over 15,000 women from families engaged in cattle-rearing in the 67 villages falling under the temporary district of Mahakumbh Nagar, this event has become a source of livelihood. In many villages along the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna, a new market for traditional fuels like dung cakes has emerged. These days, large markets for dung cakes have been set up along the riverbanks, where local women are working all day to prepare cow dung cakes.

Orders for Dung Cakes and Clay Stoves

Savitri, from Hetapatti village, says that for the past month, institutions setting up their camps in Mahakumbh have been placing orders to supply dung cakes. Seema, from the same village, spends her entire day, along with women from her usually idle household, preparing clay stoves. She shares that food for kalpvasis—pilgrims residing in camps during Mahakumbh—is cooked on these stoves. So far, she has received orders to prepare 7,000 clay stoves.

Increased Demand Due to Ban on Heaters and Small LPG Cylinders

According to the fair administration, over 10,000 institutions will set up camps in Mahakumbh this year, accommodating more than seven lakh kalpvasis. Larger institutions and akhadas generally use big LPG cylinders to cook food for lakhs of devotees. However, religious leaders, saints, and kalpvasis still prefer their traditional methods of cooking.

Due to incidents of fire caused by heaters and small LPG cylinders in past fairs, the administration has banned their use in the camps. This restriction has further increased the demand for handmade dung cakes and clay stoves prepared by these women.

Teerth Purohit Sankata Tiwari explains that kalpvasis predominantly stay with teerth purohits. For them, maintaining sanctity and tradition is the top priority, and they prefer cooking meals using dung cakes on clay stoves.