India's Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious festival, is generating a significant economic impact. From Prayagraj to other Hindu pilgrimage sites, the six-week event sees millions of visitors, boosting industries like hospitality, transportation, and retail. The festival also provides a major job boost and attracts government investment in infrastructure.
Labourers ferrying Hindu pilgrims on a hand cart during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on February 1, 2025. — AFP picPRAYAGRAJ, Feb 12 — The unfathomable scale of the world’s largest religious festival in India overshadows many nations in size — and for the economy, its impact is just as dramatic.
The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has poured in funds for large-scale infrastructure upgrades.“There are new roads, bridges, additional flights and trains, new hotels and restaurants, and an unmet demand for workers.” It is impossible to independently verify government statistics of a religious celebration that critics say is being cashed in on by Hindu nationalist leaders to burnish political credentials.
“Our economy would obviously grow because of this mega event,” he told AFP. “We’re seeing its benefits at every stage, with impacts on transportation, hotels, food, and every other sector.” In the crowded tent city along the river banks, where pilgrims come to take ritual dips, an army of vendors sells everything from food and clothes to prayer items, flowers and festival memorabilia.Sanjeev Singh, from Adityanath’s office, says the Kumbh Mela makes global festivals look small — pointing to Brazil’s Rio Carnival with some seven million participants or the Muslim hajj in Saudi Arabia with nearly two million.
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