Celebration of India’s cultural heritage: PM on Maha Kumbh

Prayagraj (UP): The Maha Kumbh 2025 a "mahayagya of unity" which would take the country's cultural and spiritual identity to new heights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, emphasising the event's role in promoting social cohesion as well as economic empowerment of communities. Addressing a public meeting here after inaugurating developmental projects to improve the city's infrastructure and provide better amenities to pilgrims during the Kumbh Mela, the prime minister said the differences of castes and sects disappear at the event.

The prime minister inaugurated 167 key development projects worth Rs 5,500 crore. The projects also included Sah'AI'yak Chatbot -- an Artificial Intelligence-based platform to streamline communication for devotees attending the Maha Kumbh. Modi said the city of Prayagraj, which hosts the Maha Kumbh every 12 years, is not just a geographical location, but a place for spiritual experience where the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers plays a pivotal role in uniting people from all walks of life.

"The Maha Kumbh is a mahayagya of unity. It will take the country's cultural and spiritual identity to new heights. In the last Kumbh, I had the good fortune of taking a bath at the Sangam and today, once again, I received blessings at the feet of Ganga," Modi said.

The 2025 Maha Kumbh will be held from January 13 (Paush Poornima) to February 26 (Maha Shivratri) at Prayagraj.

It will be the world's largest religious gathering and more than 40 crore people are expected during the 45-day event. The prime minister emphasised the historical importance of the event, saying saints and sages have, for centuries, used it as a platform to discuss national issues and provide valuable guidance. He pointed out that even in ancient times, the Kumbh laid the foundation for social change.

Modi also spoke about the current government's efforts to improve Kumbh-related infrastructure which, he said, had been neglected in the past. "During previous governments, the importance of Kumbh was not recognised. The devotees kept facing problems at such events, but the governments of the day did not care. The reason for this was their disassociation from Indian culture," said the PM.