Kumbh Mela 2019: How a Rs 40-bn plan for 120 mn pilgrims was implemented

All stakeholders - the government, religious organisations, local businesses - in Prayagraj are expecting the upcoming fair to be bigger than ever

At 11.30 pm on a Tuesday, the anteroom of Vijay Kiran Anand receives a constant stream of visitors. Anand is the meladhikari, an equivalent of district magistrate, for the Prayagraj Mela Authority. The visitors range from government officials, sadhus and a few curious locals. Everyone wants information on the Ardh Kumbh Mela, which begins on January 15, 2019. At 11.45 pm, Anand’s voice rises and all others fade away. “We don’t have the time for such basic errors,” he thunders at a young executive. A middle-aged couple exchange proud looks. “Their” city, “their” mela, has never been organised on this