Outlook Business Desk
Around 40 crore people are expected to descend on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj from January 13. During the mela, devotees take a holy dip in the Sangam as the Maha Kumbh is the world's largest religious gathering which kicked off today (Monday).
The estimated budget of Kumbh Mela organised for a time span of 45 days, stands nearly at Rs 6,382 crore, according to media reports.
The mela is anticipated to earn around Rs 25,000 crore, including Rs 5,000 core from puja items, Rs 4,000 crore from dairy products, and Rs 800 crore from flowers, said Mahendra Kumar Goyal, president of the UP chapter of the Confederation of All India Traders as quoted by Financial Express.
Additional District Magistrate Vivek Chaturvedi told The Indian Express that they received Rs 1-2 crore from each bidder to step up stalls at the mela grounds. The officials led a competitive bidding process to allot stalls in Kumbh.
The UP government has set up around 1.6 lakh tents, including 2,200 luxury tents in Prayagraj for the devotees coming to Mahakumbh Mela. These luxury tents which have amenities like blowers, private bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and butler services are priced between Rs 18,000 and Rs 20,000.
This year, the Yogi Adityanath government initiated 549 infrastructure and sanitation projects worth Rs 6,990 crore for the Mahakumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) stated that Mahakumbh is expected to generate trade worth Rs 2 lakh crore. As per NDTV reports, the mela may boost both nominal and real GDP by over 1 per cent.
Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General of CAIT told ANI that as per estimates, an average expenditure of Rs 5,000 per person during religious travel which includes hotels, guesthouses, temporary accommodations, food, religious items, healthcare, and other services.