–  50% of all bus passengers heading to Prayagraj were under the age of 30

Bengaluru, March 12, 2025:  ixigo, India’s leading OTA for the Next Billion Users, reveals a massive surge in travel bookings to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh Mela (January 13 – February 26, 2025). Flight bookings witnessed 5.4x YoY demand, with nearby airports in Lucknow and Varanasi witnessing 69% YoY growth. Train bookings saw a 4x YoY rise, while bus bookings saw the highest surge at 20x YoY, underscoring strong demand across all segments for the world’s largest spiritual gathering.

Gen Z & Solo Travelers Drive Historic Travel Boom to Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh 2025

Booking data from ixigo’s bus business, AbhiBus, highlights a surge in young travelers, with those aged 20-25 making up 26% of total bus bookings. Gen Z bus travelers saw a remarkable 20-fold YoY increase during the Kumbh Mela, and 50% of all bus passengers heading to Prayagraj were under the age of 30. Key origin cities contributing to the surge in demand across the ixigo Group included New Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Meerut, Varanasi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ranchi, and Ayodhya. A significant shift in travel behavior was also observed, as solo travelers dominated train bookings, making up 60% of the total, surpassing group travel.

Speaking on this, Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo, said “The Maha Kumbh Mela has spotlighted the rapid rise of spiritual tourism in India, with a remarkable surge in participation from young travelers. Our data shows that Gen Z and millennials are increasingly embracing cultural and religious journeys, making experiential travel the new norm. As faith-based tourism evolves, the future of travel will be driven by seamless multimodal connectivity – ensuring greater accessibility and convenience for a new generation of spiritually inspired explorers.”

Booking data and trends from ixigo Group for Maha Kumbh 2025

ixigo Flights

●        Flight bookings to Prayagraj surged 5.4x YoY

●        Nearby airports (Lucknow & Varanasi) have seen a  69% YoY growth

●        Top origin cities: Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Goa, and Bhubaneswar 

ixigo Trains & ConfirmTkt

●        Train bookings to Prayagraj surged 4x YoY

●        Solo travellers made up 60% of total train bookings, surpassing group bookings

●        Top origin cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Meerut, Varanasi, and Lucknow

AbhiBus

●        Bus bookings to Prayagraj surged 20x YoY

●        Young travellers, aged 20-25, accounted for 26% of the total bus bookings

●        Top origin cities: New Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Ranchi, and Ayodhya

●        During Kumbh, the number of Gen Z bus travelers increased 20-fold compared to the previous financial year.

●        50% of the bus passengers traveling to Prayagraj were under 30 years old.

●        The most expensive bus seat ever sold was in February 2025 for the Vijayawada-Varanasi route at INR 14,860 for a seat. 

AIRFARES OF PRAYAGRAJ, LUCKNOW, VARANASI DURING AND POST-MAHA KUMBH MELA

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Hyderabad: 07th February, 2025: On his visit last month to the Maha Kumbh Mela, Gautam Adani had said that his son’s wedding would be conducted in a “simple and traditional way.” Staying true to his word, and also ending all rumours and speculation that his son Jeet Adani’s wedding would be a lavish and spectacular affair, the billionaire industrialist not only kept the wedding simple but also donated INR 10,000 crore. This distinctive wedding gift from one of the richest men in the world will be channelled into various social causes.

Sources close to him said that Gautam Adani’s cause list for his sizeable donation has been shaped by his social philosophy of सेवा साधना है, सेवा प्रार्थना है और सेवा ही परमात्मा है| The larger part of his donation is expected to go into funding massive infrastructure initiatives in healthcare, education and skill development. These initiatives will focus on giving all sections of society access to a network of affordable world-class hospitals and medical colleges, affordable top-tier K-12 schools and advanced global skill academies with assured employability.

On the occasion of the wedding of his younger son, Gautam Adani posted on X (formerly Twitter):

परमपिता परमेश्वर के आशीर्वाद से जीत और दिवा आज विवाह के पवित्र बंधन में बंध गए।

यह विवाह आज अहमदाबाद में प्रियजनों के बीच पारंपरिक रीति रिवाजों और शुभ मंगल भाव के साथ संपन्न हुआ।

यह एक छोटा और अत्यंत निजी समारोह था, इसलिए हम चाह कर भी सभी शुभचिंतकों को आमंत्रित नहीं कर सके, जिसके लिए मैं क्षमाप्रार्थी हूँ।

मैं आप सभी से बेटी दिवा और जीत के लिए स्नेह और आशीष का हृदय से आकांक्षी हूँ।

Interestingly, in the tweet, he addressed his daughter-in-law as “daughter Diva”.  At the Belvedere Club in Ahmedabad’s Adani Shantigram township this afternoon, Jeet Adani married Diva, daughter of diamond trader Jaimin Shah. According to family insiders, the wedding was a simple affair, with the usual religious rituals followed by a traditional Gujarati ceremony attended only by close relatives and friends. Conspicuous by their absence were politicians, business leaders, diplomats, bureaucrats, film stars, entertainers and other celebrities.

Jeet Adani currently serves as Director at Adani Airports, managing six international airports and overseeing the building of a seventh in Navi Mumbai. Jeet is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Just two days before the wedding, Gautam Adani announced ‘Mangal Seva’, a program to support newly married women with disabilities. To begin with, every year, 500 such women will be provided financial assistance of INR 10 lakh each. Jeet Adani met 21 newly married divyang women and their husbands to launch this initiative. The chairman of the Adani Group took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his joy that Jeet and Diva are starting the first chapter of their journey with a virtuous resolution: https://x.com/gautam_adani/status/1887088216131375172

At Prayagraj on 21 January, when asked by reporters at the Maha Kumbh if his son’s wedding would be a “Maha Kumbh of celebrities” as was being widely speculated, Gautam Adani had said, “Definitely not. We are like common people. Jeet came here to take Ma Ganga’s blessings. His marriage will happen in a simple and traditional way.”

Gautam Adani’s exemplary gesture of “Seva Over Self” on his son’s wedding day has set an example. By choosing to support social causes, he has redefined the essence of celebrating personal milestones by introducing a thoughtful, community-focused approach that creates an impact transcending the public display of wealth.

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Bengaluru, 23^rd January 2025: Human Mobile Devices, HMD, announces the launch of one-of-a kind service initiatives at Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, demonstrating its commitment to enriching the pilgrim experience through innovative technology and support services. The company has established a comprehensive presence in Prayagraj with multiple programs designed to assist visitors during their spiritual journey

Key Highlights of HMD Initiatives at Maha Kumbh:

• Comprehensive Mobile Care: The HMD Care Camp offers diagnosis and repairs for HMD Smartphones, Feature Phones, and Nokia Feature Phones. The brand is also providing a replacement unit to the customers if their feature phones are under the 1-year replacement guarantee. As an additional service, the company is also running a unique loaner phone program providing temporary devices during the repair period
• local travel information feature: In collaboration with Radioline, HMD provides real-time access to essential Maha Kumbh information, including important dates with significance, local travel information feature, and extensive guides for pilgrims
• Tourism Partnership: In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the Uttar Pradesh government, HMD advocates the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign, promoting domestic tourism through digital engagement and on-ground activities at the premises of the Maha Kumbh Mela
• Regional Integration: Working closely with the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, HMD has established branded touchpoints across Prayagraj, creating a network of support centers in retail stores and key locations throughout the procession grounds.

Along with these support initiatives, the company has also planned a 360-degree campaign spread across OOH, social media and digital as an extension of HMD’s Khoob Chalega Campaign of HMD 105 and HMD 110. The campaign resonates with the brand ethos of providing longer battery life, bigger screen and inventive UPI application, enabling secure financial transactions even without a smartphone.

Commenting on the new initiative, Ravi Kunwar, CEO & VP, India & APAC, HMD, said: “The Maha Kumbh Mela is a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey, and at HMD, we take pride in enhancing this profound experience through our strong regional presence and groundbreaking feature phone innovations. By collaborating with the UP Government under the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign, we’re not only celebrating India’s cultural heritage but also empowering pilgrims with reliable connectivity, disruptive technology like UPI application, and dedicated support services to ensure their journey is as seamless and fulfilling as possible”

The initiatives align with HMD’s mission to provide technology solutions that serve real human needs while supporting cultural and spiritual experiences.

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At the event, Ms Akanksha Rana praised the program, stating, “Vidya Kumbh is a commendable initiative that will inspire children from labourer families towards education and secure their future. This effort to prioritise education amidst a grand event like the Maha Kumbh Mela will bring a significant change in the lives of these children.”

The Maha Kumbh Mela is India’s largest religious and cultural gathering, attracting millions of devotees, pilgrims, and tourists. This once-in-12-year event generates significant economic activity, with over 90,000 workers across departments contributing to its preparations. Many of these workers, who travel from various parts of India, are accompanied by their families, including children whose education is disrupted in the process.

Vidya Kumbh is a response to this challenge, aiming to provide learning opportunities to children in and around the event. The school will run for four months, providing children access to foundational learning, quality education materials, and life skills-building activities.

“Educate Girls, in collaboration with the Basic Education Department, has launched the ‘Vidya Kumbh’ initiative to ensure that the children of labourers attending the Maha Kumbh Mela don’t miss out on their education. This transformative step towards ensuring no child’s education is disrupted due to socio-economic circumstances underscores the importance of taking education to where children are, rather than waiting for them to come to us,” added Vikram Solanki, Director of Operations, Educate Girls.

Notably, several girl children who were previously identified by Educate Girls as ‘out-of-school’ in other states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, have been found at these camps, highlighting the critical need for ongoing educational outreach and the role Vidya Kumbh plays in keeping these children connected to education despite their transient circumstances.

“Through this camp, we are striving to promote education and connect children to foundational learning for a better future. I am confident that this initiative will be a success at the Kumbh Mela. My gratitude goes to all the organisations contributing to this effort,” added Praveen Kumar Tiwari, Basic Education Officer, Prayagraj.

Located in Sanitation Colony-2, Vidya Kumbh was inaugurated in December 2024. The event was also attended by Dr. Anand Singh, Additional Chief Medical Officer, Mr. Rajeev Tripathi, Deputy Commissioner, Basic Education Department, and representatives from Educate Girls. During the event, Educate Girls’ supplementary, remedial learning curriculum kits called ‘Gyan Ka Pitara’, which focus on Foundational Learning and Numeracy for Grades 3-5, were also distributed.

The program has garnered significant attention from dignitaries, including state education officers and NGO representatives.

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Traveling without a valid ticket is strictly prohibited under the rules and regulations of Indian Railways and constitutes a punishable offense. There are no provisions for free travel during Maha Kumbh Mela or any other occasion.

Indian Railways is committed to ensuring seamless travel for passengers during the Maha Kumbh Mela. Adequate arrangements are being made, including the establishment of special holding areas, additional ticket counters, and other necessary facilities to manage the anticipated influx of passengers.  PIB

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