Triveni Of History, Faith & Modernity
Prayagraj: Prayagraj is not just “Teerthraj’, or the king of pilgrimages, but is also Alla- habad, the confluence of political movements Also known as the Oxford of the East, Prayagraj was a witness to the journey of the Indian National Congress to Gandhi’s non-violent movement during the freedom struggle. Today, the city which rests on the Triveni Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers is establishing itself as a spiritual capi- tal. But the beauty of Prayagraj is not just in its history, its Mughal connection and architecture or its role as an educational hub. It has to do with its recent past, present and projected fu ture
Ahead of the change of the millennium, Allahabad got its first Indi- an Institute of Information Techno- logy, Allahabad (IIIT-A) in 1999 under the then Union HRD & science & technology minister Murli Manohar Joshi. In 2000, the UP govt brought in the freehold policy, allowing people to convert leasehold land into free- hold, bringing in security of tenure and freedom to sell, mortgage, or re- develop. The 2001 Kumbh Mela, which wit- nessed short-term investment dri- ven by the event, was followed by the completion of a major transport in- frastructure, the New or Naini-Ya- muna bridge in 2004. The bridge was constructed to ea- se congestion on Old Naini Bridge and improve connectivity between Prayagraj and Naini. The number of factories and ma- nufacturing units fluctuated over the years, from 211 in 2000 to 206 in 2001. The number went up to 318 in 2002 and then drastically came down to 195 in 2003, further tumbling to 175 in 2004.
The year 2005 brought good news when the parliament passed the University of Allahabad Act. With this, the university was, on July 14, 2005, was formally declared a central uní- versity, fourth in India at that time, following Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, and Visva-Bharati University. In the first decade of the new millennium, Civil Lines became the hub of banks, coaching institutes, and branded shops. Hotels and banquet halls came up, catering to both corporate clients. and pilgrims attending the Kumbh Mela and Magh Mela. The next decade was all about high-rise buildings, as construction of G+10 and above buildings were al- lowed in Civil Lines, Lukerganj, Ta- gore Town and Georgetown. More branded outlets replaced old shops in Civil Lines.
A flyover was constructed near Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg to ease traffic. Major developments have ta ken place in past one decade. Allahabad was rechristened as Prayagraj (in 2018), and the new name also changed the fate of the city. Selected among 98 cities for the USTDA-GOI engagements as part of India’s Smart Cities policy framework, Prayagraj’s priorities shifted towards IT services, urbanisation, traffic management and heritage restoration. Major conglomerate Larsen & To ubro and other tech contractors have been visible in Smart City and Integ rated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) implementations.
The year 2025 changed the fate of Prayagraj as Maha Kumbh went on to define India’s story. The numbers say it all. One of the largest confluences of history hosted 66 crore devote- es from all corners of India and the world for 45 days. The event became a Centre-state affair in management, and its alignment with rare celestial configurations made the event a convergence spot for the devotees. Given the socio-economic scale and grandiosity, reputed universiti- es like Harvard, Stanford and the London School of Economics (LSE) studied the mega event. For an event of this scale, the Uttar Pradesh govt announced funds to the tune of Rs. 7,500 crore. This figure was a little over half, or Rs 4,200 crore in 2019. In 2013, the UP govt allocated Rs 1,300 crore for organising Maha Kumbh. The nomenclature also changed over the years -Ardh Kumbh, occurring every six years is now called Kumbh Mela, while Kumbh Mela occurring every 12 or more years is now Maha Kumbh.
Prayagraj, a city of almost 60 lakh hosted a confluence of 66 crore, and each house turned into a lounge and ‘bhandara-khana’, serving 30 crore devotees. Dignitaries, spiritual leaders and devotees flocked to Sangam city, as the double-engine govt arranged for facilities for global influx of belle- vers. The UP Chapter of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimated the revenue generated from basic expenditure by devotees du- ring Maha Kumbh 2025 to be around Rs 17,310 crre. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the last Ma- ha Kumbh held in 2013 generated a re- venue of around Rs 12,000 crore which shot up to Rs 1.2 lakh crore in Kumbh Mela 2019.
A 2019 study by LSE, the Uttar Pradesh govt spent two years to plan the Maha Kumbh, with the Magh Me- la in 2018 becoming a pilot for the ma- in event next year. Apart from crucial infrastructu ral planning, the event also unlocked negotiations by the state govt to find crucial financial support from national programmes. In 2001, the municipality of Pray- agraj (then Allahabad) hosted one- tenth of these numbers, nearly 7 crore devotees. Managing the mela required enormous temporary infrastructure for water, sanitation, medi- cal services, roads and crowd control back then, and the situation is no different now
The spotlight on Kumbh comes from its recognition as UNESCO In- tangible Cultural Heritage. In June this year, the state govt expedited initiatives like Har Ghar Nal Se Jal for the supply of tap water to every household, and completion of ring road project. Development is a combination of actions with belief. At a time when geopolitical headwinds reek of war, conflict and lust for power, Maha Kumbh keeps alive the light of huma nity and hope, burning with the beli- ef that the lamp of unity in this world should never be extinguished.
