Aim

• To study the planning and infrastructure of temporary city for MAHA

KUMBH mela.

Objective
• To study the planning and laying infrastructure and erection of required
structure on barren land into a temporary, functional city for large scale festival.
• To study the planning, construction, and logistics of temporary structures,
including shelters, sanitation, water supply & waste management, safety,
security, vehicular & pedestrian movements.
Scope
• Focus on consideration in respect to geographic and climatic conditions where
KUMBH mela are held. (Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik)
• Technology adopted for erection of temporary shelters, toilet, kitchens, medical
facilities, transportation network & congregation spaces for particular purpose.
• Study of material & construction techniques suitable for rapid setup for
temporary city with all necessary infrastructures and management aspects.

Limitations
• Study will not include unpredicted pilgrims' variability and weather conditions.
• Study is limited and relied on available data.
Need of study

• The Kumbh Mela transforms empty land into a temporary

city for millions of people in just a few weeks.

• This incredible feat presents significant challenges in

planning, building, and managing infrastructure quickly
and efficiently.

• Also, the Kumbh Mela is listed in UNESCO Representative

List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
What is Kumbh?
• The Kumbh Mela emphasizes the importance of self-purification, devotion, and the
pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
• It is one of the most significant spiritual gatherings in the world, deeply rooted in
Hindu tradition, mythology, and astrology.
• It serves as a powerful expression of faith, unity, and devotion.

Origin
• The origins of the Kumbh Mela lie in the legend of the Samudra Manthan
(Churning of the Ocean). The gods (Devas) and demons (Asuras) churned the ocean
to extract Amrit (nectar of immortality).
• As the gods carried the nectar, a battle ensued, during which drops of the nectar fell
at four locations: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain.
• These places became sacred, and it is believed that bathing in the rivers at these sites
during the auspicious times washes away sins and grants liberation (moksha).
Locations
• Each site's celebration dates are calculated in advance according to a special
combination of zodiacal positions of Brihaspati (Jupiter), Surya (the Sun)
and Chandra (the Moon).
• The relative years vary between the four sites, but the cycle repeats about every 12
years. When the Jupiter completes its one cycle of sun.
• Prayagraj : Confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.
: Maha (winter) (January – April)
: Starts from Makar Sankranti
: MahaKumbh (every 12 years), ArdhKumbh (every 6 years),
Kumbh (every 4 years)
• Haridwar: On the banks of the Ganga.
: Chaitra (spring) (January – February)
: Starts from Shivratri
: ArdhKumbh (every 6 years), Kumbh (every 4 years)
• Nashik: On the banks of the Godavari.
: Bhadarvo (monsoon) (August – September)
: Starts from Simha Sankranti
: Kumbh (every 4 years)
• Ujjain: On the banks of the Shipra.
: Vaishakh (April – May)
: Starts from Chaitra Purnima
: Kumbh (every 4 years)
List of Maha Kumbh Melas (post independence)
• Here are the list of MahaKumbh mela held in Prayagraj after 1947(post independence)

Year Date Visitors

1954 14th January – 24th February 5 millions

1966 14th January – 23rd February 10 millions

1977 14th January – 28th February 15 millions

1989 14th January – 25th February 25-30 millions

2001 14th January – 21st February 60 millions

2013 14th January – 10th March 120 millions

2025 14th January – 26th February 640 millions

(recent)
What is Temporary City?
• A temporary city for festivals like the Kumbh Mela is a short-term settlement built to
host millions of people for a limited period.
• These cities are carefully planned and constructed to provide all the basic facilities
and services needed, like housing, sanitation, water, electricity, transportation, and
food.
• Once the festival is over, the city is dismantled, leaving little or no permanent impact
on the land.
What are key elements for a Temporary City?
• Residential Areas (Accommodation & Shelters):
To provide temporary housing for pilgrims and visitors like tents,
prefabricated cabins, dormitories etc.
• Sanitation and Hygiene Facilities:
To ensure cleanliness and prevent diseases in crowded conditions with
portable toilets, handwashing stations & waste collection bins etc.
• Food and Water Supply:
To provide meals and clean drinking water to large crowds with help of
community kitchens, food kiosks & drinking water stations etc.
• Transportation and Movement:
To facilitate the smooth movement of people and goods like temporary road
networks, walkways, parking areas, shuttle services, water ways, arrivals &
departures etc.
• Medical and Emergency Facilities:
To provide healthcare and respond to emergencies with primary health care
centers, clinics, first-aid centers, mobile medical units & hospitals etc.
• Religious and Cultural Spaces:
Facilitate rituals, gatherings, and cultural events on bathing ghats, stages for
performances & some congregation spaces etc.
• Security and Monitoring:
Maintain order, ensure safety & safe movements for pilgrims with
surveillance system, watchtowers & police outposts, (water safety).
• Waste Management Systems:
Manage solid and liquid waste generated during the event we provide waste
bins & some sewage treatment units inside the city
• Electricity supply and Street Lighting:
Ensure a reliable & non-stop energy supply for the city with generators,
solar panels & other non-conventional sources (gasey fire, Sewre gas plant) etc.
 4

2
1. Triveni Sangam 2. Pontoon bridges connectivity

3.Temporary tent city 4. Extended part of Kumbh

 4

1. Triveni Sangam 2. Pontoon bridges connectivity

3.Temporary tent city 4. Extended part of Kumbh

 Important aspects of MahaKumbh 2025
• Management & Planning:
The Maha Kumbh Mela is a massive event that requires a well-organized approach to
management and planning to accommodate millions of pilgrims.
• Administration :
The administration of the Maha Kumbh Mela is a complex task involving multiple government
bodies, local authorities, and private organizations.
• Accommodation and Shelters (Residential):
Temporary housing set up for millions of pilgrims to ensure comfort and rest during the festival.
• Sanitation and Hygiene (Utilities):
Facilities and systems to maintain cleanliness and prevent health issues in crowded areas. To
provide adequate sanitation & water supply with laying drainage system & processing it.
(temporary savage treatment plant)
• Food and Water Supply:
Arrangements for feeding a massive number of people and providing clean water for drinking,
also for food production and for other use
• Medical Facilities:
Healthcare services and emergency response systems for the safety of pilgrims by providing
some clinics, temporary hospitals, mobile medical units etc.
• Transportation and Movement:
Systems to manage the smooth movement of people and goods within the event area.
• Religious or Cultural Spaces:
Special areas like temporary temples, mandaps, some congregation spaces, temporary bathing
areas near the ghat for rituals, prayers, and cultural activities.
• Security and Safety:
To ensure the safety of pilgrims and staff members from any kind of unexpected happening
before, during and after the event.
• Miscellaneous:
Additional facilities like lesser show in river, helicopter ride, boat ride to reach the Sangam for
shahi Snan to encourage tourism.
Structural system of Gov.
Structural system at Kumbh mela
Climatic Response
• Average Rainfall & Temperature of Prayagraj
• Time duration of different aspects at Maha Kumbh 2025
On site planning

Sector 18
On site planning

Sector 18
On site planning

Sector 18

Total 5660 blocks

On site planning

Sector 18

Health & Medical camp

Fire station

Police station

Toilet

Admin & Management camp

On site planning

Sector 18

Swami Shree Avdeshanandaji

Maharaj Camp
On site planning

Swami Shree
Avdeshanandaji
Maharaj Camp
On site planning
1. Admin & Hospital
18
3A 2. Fire Department
2
3 16 16 2A. Toilet Blocks
2A 12
18 3. Bhandara
13 13 3A. Toilet Blocks
16A 4. Mandir & Anushtha
5. Kund
1 12 16 16 6. Datt Sandan
17 7. Café
7A. Pergola (x4)
8. Yagyashala
9. Pandal
14C 9A. Toilet Blocks
10. Swiss Tents (x20)
5 4 11
15 11. Ganga Cottage (x96)

14B
12. Yamuna Cottages (x52)
13. Sarasvati Cottages (x20)
14A. Toilet Blocks
14B. 84 bed Dorm. (x30)
14C. 70 bed Dorms. (x2)

14B

14B
6 15. House keeping Storage

14A
10
16. Faced Artisans Workshops
18 11
16A. Toilet blocks
17. Printing workshops (pergola)
10
7A 7 8 18. Parking

14B

14B
19. Police chowki
18
18

14C Decorative Facades

19
9 Services

14A
14B

14B
18
14B

Artificial Turf

9A
On site planning
On site planning
1 3

2 5

4
N
 Transportations
There are 2 types of transportations
1. To the Maha Kumbh
• In this typology there are international & domestic both transportations are included
• Internation flights, domestic flights are best option for international pilgrims
• Railways & inter state bus services are best for local & nearby pilgrims to reach to the Prayagraj
Airways
• For Kumbh mela DGCA(Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has approved 81 additional flights
to the Prayagraj & 51 flights are already there for Prayagraj or nearby cities so the total number of
flights are 132
• Also, a new terminus was constructed specifically for Maha Kumbh
Facilities from airport
• Shuttle Buses: Regular buses to the Mela ground on non-pick days
• E-rikshaws: Convenient rides available on non-pick days
Railways
• For Kumbh mela Indian Railways has announced 360 trains including 190 special trains, 110
regular trains and 60 MEMU trains
• Some raw materials for Maha Kumbh was also transported through this facility.
Railways Stations
• Prayagraj Junction
• Prayagraj Rumbaugh
• Prayagraj Sangam
• Prayagraj Junction
• Naini Junction
• Prayagraj Chheoki
• Phaphamau Junction
• Jhunsi
• Subedargani
Facilities from Railway stations
• Shuttle buses: Regular buses to the mela kshetra on non-pick days
• E-rikshaws: there are 5 routes of e-rikshaw are available to the mela kshetra according to their
colours
By road services
• To facilitate the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation
(UPSRTC) plans to deploy over 7,000 buses, including 750 shuttle buses within the Maha Kumbh
area, and 350 shuttle buses to facilitate local travel.
• Private vehicles, Private buses & other local transports were used to reach Prayagraj
• For these vehicles gov. has allotted 1800 acers land for parking prepose
• 2 new express ways were also introduced in this time
Vindya Expressway: 320km long highway connecting Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi,
chandauli & sonbhadra
Vindhya-Purvanchal: 100km long highway for further improving regional connectivity.
• Also there are e-rikshaws which has allotment through colours & these colours defines their
specific routs
2. In the Maha Kumbh
• In this part the gov. has developed over 400km long temporary
roads with the help of sheet pilling.
• The major roads were connecting the main sectors & bathing
ghats
• Also, the main roads are connected to the external main roads &
the main accesses were also planned according to that
• For pilgrims there are also pedestrian lane
• Also 16 new potoon bridges was constructed for 2025 Maha
Kumbh
Connectivity to Sangam ghat Or Triveni Sangam
• There was a main gate called ganga dhwar as the main access to
the sangam ghat & also VIP Ghat
• Also, there was a boat house located on arail ghat which is near to
the 2 railway stations
• From boat house we can take the boat to the triveni sangam
To the venue
• During the kumbh mela time the flow of expected pilgrims has increased by 2-3 times per day
• The major traffic was stuck on the express highways & at railway platforms

Express highways
Express Highways
• Purvanchal express highway – (Lucknow_Sultanpur_Azamgarh_Ghazipur)
• Bundelkhand express highway – (Chitrakoot_Banda_Hamirpur_Etawah)
• Ganga express highway – (Prayagraj (via Unnao, Rae Bareli)
National Highways
• NH-19 – (Delhi_Agra_Kanpur_Prayagraj_Varanasi_Kolkata)
• NH-30 – (Sitarganj (Uttarakhand)_Lucknow_Raebareli_Prayagraj)
• NH-35 – (Mirzapur_Prayagraj_Kaushambi_Banda_Chitrakoot)
• NH-731 – (Sultanpur_Pratapgarh_Prayagraj)
State Highways
• SH-7 – (Jaunpur_Handia_Prayagraj)
• SH-94 – (Raebareli_Pratapgarh_Prayagraj)

• Approximately 50k to 1 lakh vehicles passes through these road & enters into the Kumbh mela
during the festival
• On sahi snan days 3-5 lakhs vehicles entered into the Kumbh mela
Railways
• During the Mahakumbh mela the trains have played the major role in transportation
• For every income group pilgrims trains are best way to reach this festival
• During the festival period, over 10 lakhs+ people traveled through the trains only on shahi snan
days
• Daily average of pilgrims traveled through the trains are 1 lakhs+
• To manage this massive influx of pilgrim's Indian railways constructed 45 new platforms in
Prayagraj area
• Prayagraj station becomes the primary hub, due to nearest station for sangam nose

People have sat where they find the space due to

I have experienced this train journey heavy pilgrim's flow
 Fire case of Maha Kumbh
• A massive fire broke out in the Maha Kumbh Mela area on 19th January, starting in the kitchen of
the Geeta Press camp.
• The blaze quickly spread, destroying 6 tents & 40 temporary shelters.
• In evening at 04:15 pm the fire started in the kitchen of the Geeta Press camp.
• In just 40 minutes the fire was in controlled by the authorities.

• This is the satellite image before the incident of fire.

• This incident was pre-identified with the help of AI thermal cameras.
Some glimps of the fire incident at Sector 19
 Stampede at Maha Kumbh
• An unexpected stampede was happened in Maha Kumbh.
• On 29th January there was MauniAmavasya’s Amrit Snan.
• For that mela authorities were prepared for over 100 million pilgrims to visit the sangam.
• Midnight at 1am sudden flow of pilgrims came in rush & other pilgrims who were already sleeping there on ghat for early morning Amrit Snan.
• Between 1am to 2am this incident was happened & approximately 30 people died.
• The Amrit Snan of MauniAmavasya was cancelled.
• Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani was only akhara who has holy bath on mauniamavsaya & other akharas have postponed their baths.
Some glimps of Stampede
Structural system of Gov.
Structural system at Kumbh mela
Climatic Response
• Average Rainfall & Temperature of Prayagraj, Ujjain, Haridwar & Nashik

Prayagraj Ujjain
(Uttar Pradesh) (Madhya Pradesh)

Haridwar Nashik
(Uttarakhand) (Maharashtra)
 Execution Of pontoon Bridges

• Exploded view of Pontoon Bridge

1

1. Metal Handrails
2. Metal Plates
3. Lagging
4. Metal Beams
5. Pontoon
 Execution

• Exploded view of pressure vessel (capsule)

Another plates

Gusset plate

Welding with gusset plate

14mm Gusset Plate 14mm Gusset Plate

75x75x13 mm 75x75x13 mm
 Execution

• Roads are made after sheet piling.

• Metal sheets are 1m wide & 5m in length.
• Each sheet is 235.5kg in weight.
• Time duration of different aspects for kumbh mela

Period of kumbh