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regular-article-logo Wednesday, 26 February 2025

Mahakumbh stampede fails to deter pilgrims planning to take holy dip in upcoming weeks

Stampede and fire no bar; will not cancel our plan, says devotee

Sanjay Mandal Published 31.01.25, 10:07 AM
Representational image

Representational image File picture

A stampede that killed at least 30 pilgrims and a fire that gutted around 15 tents at the Mahakumbh could not dampen the spirit of Calcuttans who have planned to take the holy dip in the next few weeks.

Several people from the city who have booked air tickets and accommodation for the Maghi Purnima Snan on February 12 said they would be going despite the tragedies.

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“We have not changed our plans. We will go to the Kumbh for the Maghi Purnima Snan. There is no question of cancelling it,” said advocate Gopal Chandra Halder, who will make the pilgrimage with his family.

They would take an IndiGo flight from Calcutta to Allahabad on February 11 and stay in a tent.

A city businessman, who did not want to be named, said he would be going with his wife for the February 12 dip at the Sangam.

“The stampede had taken place in a crowded area near the Sangam. We have booked a luxury tent where access is controlled. So, I don’t think there would be a problem,” the businessman said.

“We have been planning this holy dip for long and don’t want to miss it.”

Several tour operators in Calcutta said the clients who had booked tickets for the Mahakumbh have not cancelled their plans.

“I have seven groups for the Maghi Purnima Snan on February 12. Some are taking direct flights to Allahabad while others are going through Varanasi. All of them said they would be going despite the calamities,” said Avijit Das, managing director, Hermes Voyages Pvt Ltd.

One of the companies that have set up tents for pilgrims on the Mela ground said the demands are very high. Kumbh Village has set up 200 tents at the site.

“There have been no cancellations and all our tents are booked for the next few weeks,” said Swati Saxena, who looks after sales at Kumbh Village.

The tariff for premium tents, which can accommodate three adults, is 35,000 plus taxes for three nights during the “non-peak period”.

During the peak period, a three-night package costs 1.5 lakh plus taxes.

“The access to the area is closed on the days of Shahi Snan. So, people who have booked have to check in a day before and check out a day after the bath,” said Saxena.

Airfares from Calcutta to Allahabad and Varanasi have also shot up for the Mahakumbh.

The one-way fare from Calcutta to Varanasi for the first week of February touched 28,000 on Thursday evening, compared with the usual fare of 6,000, tour operators said.

The one-way fare to Allahabad was around 20,000 for the same period.

“The fares are more than the ones for some of the popular destinations in southeast Asia,” said Anil Punjabi, a member of the national committee of the Travel Agents Federation of India, representing the eastern region.

IndiGo and Air India said they have increased the number of flights to Allahabad from Calcutta and other cities across the country.

“Initially, IndiGo had already planned a significant capacity increase. However, given the unprecedented demand for air travel on Allahabad route, more flights have been added recently. For this special period, the airline will now operate more than 165,000 seats to/from Allahabad, that is more than double its normal capacity to the airport.

“During this period, IndiGo will connect Allahabad to 10 locations in India, adding connectivity from Ahmedabad, Calcutta and Jaipur, over and above existing connectivity...” the airline said.

Air India issued a statement on Thursday: “Air India has added more flights to Allahabad in response to high demand for travel during Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, having recently inaugurated special daily flights between Delhi and Allahabad.”

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