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HomeSocial OpinionsExclusive Maha Kumbh For The Elite: No Stampede, Helicopters, Luxury

Exclusive Maha Kumbh For The Elite: No Stampede, Helicopters, Luxury

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The ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh has broken several records, and seen unprecedented things happening during its 45-day-long period. However, perhaps one that is being talked about frequently is how much of a push it is giving to the VIP culture and the resentment it is causing among ordinary people.

The stampede on January 29 also has further engaged people where most accuse the intense VIP culture that the festival also seems to be just promoting instead of controlling as being the cause.

But now reports have shown a ground-level look at the amount of luxury and amenities that many of these VIPs are enjoying, just because of their ability to spend more than an average common person could imagine.

What Is The Level Of Luxury For The Kumbh’s VIPs?

A ground report by The Print has taken a look at exactly what luxury the VIPs and the ultra-elite can afford at the Kumbh.

The scenario is very different from the overcrowded fairgrounds of the Maha Kumbh, with people jostling and bumping against each other to get a spot at the ghats, noise and shouts being heard unbound, and of course, cleanliness and sanitation taking a hit due to just the level of people visiting one place all at the same time.

On January 23 the Maha Kumbh broke record by drawing over 10 crore devotees and visitors and a report by The Economic Times has claimed that over 35 crore devotees have participated in the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 so far.

But the elite are able to afford silence and private ghats, ferried tours, and no hassle of booking a cab at 10x the price for them because they can get pick up and drop services to and from the airport or railway station.

Sattvik breakfasts and boat rides to the ‘VIP Sangam’ where these elite individuals get their own private spot for the bathing rituals.

As per The Print report, an NRI family from Dubai took this VIP route that “came at a hefty tag of Rs 5,000-10,000, depending on the boat and its facilities.”

Bakshi, an employee at a financial consultancy in Dubai who is visiting Kumbh for the first time reportedly said “We were apprehensive about the crowds. We had seen the crowded streets of Kumbh in reels, but we were not part of it. The facilities provided here—we never imagined it would be like this.”

The ITDC Luxury Camps by Zenith Hospitality in Sector 25 of the Kumbh area is also one that is often talked about when it comes to serving VIP guests during the festival. The camp area has free Wi-Fi, climate-controlled rooms, catering services, 24/7 security, and on-site medical facilities for the guests.

The ensuite bathrooms in these luxury tents that can range from Rs. 30,000 to 89,000 are not just basic bathrooms but can have anything from a tub to rain showers with hot and cold water.

These luxury accommodations create just the right illusion of a rustic setting without compromising on the facilities so that the elite individuals can get the experience without having to actually go through any struggle.

The handmade cloth of the tents, private shaded seating area, and wooden or makeshift grass floors give off a rustic feel, however, the Wi-Fi, bathrooms with full amenities, catered meals, heaters, and ACs make sure that the guests don’t really feel any discomfort.

Manoj Mishra, head of Zenith Hospitality spoke about how the inspiration for the rooms was an Uttar Pradesh village while the ITDC website claimed “Each kutiya (room) features stylish en-suite bathrooms and rich textiles in rust and burnt orange, reflecting central Indian design.”

Mishra also said, “We organise yoga and meditation camps in the morning, a chaupal for spiritual talks and cultural programs, Ganga Aarti in the evening, and a guided tour of Kumbh Mela where we take guests to the akharas and introduce them to the saints.”

The Print report highlights the difference in the world of the haves from the have-nots stating “While guests in the VIP sector sip freshly squeezed nimbu pani, eat food cooked in pure ghee, and sample laung latas, devotees on the other side jostle for space, queue up outside public washrooms, and munch on chana, bhelpuri, and moongfali from roadside thelas.”

Luxury domes were also being promoted as places for the influential to stay. The official X/Twitter page of the Maha Kumbh Mela even promoted a Dome City with ultra-luxury dome-shaped accommodation that gave a 360° view of all of its 176 cottages.

The domes were reported to be bulletproof and fireproof, with amenities like air conditioning, geysers, and arrangements for sattvik food. The rates for these domes were said to cost Rs. 1,10,000, during the bathing festival while the other days of the festival would cost Rs. 81,000.


Read More: Watch: 5 Viral Babas Of Maha Kumbh 2025


Mukesh Singh who visited the open section of the Dome City said “It does not seem like Kumbh. Such open and empty roads. The gap between the rich and the poor has come into religion as well.”

Reports also claimed that VIPs were allowed to drive up to the ghats in their vehicles even though they were restricted from entering the fairgrounds for the common people. Common people have reported to have had to walk almost 15-20 km to reach the festival grounds.

Swaroop Maharaj, president of the Shankaracharya Parishad and Shankaracharya Trust, also posted a video days before the stampede criticising the routes to the ghats being closed and ordinary devotees having to wait for hours due to the VIP guests.

This raises some questions about VIP culture, especially with such religious festivals, and how it can create a sentiment of inequality among those who have to struggle for the bare minimum.


Image Credits: Google Images

Sources: The Print, The Indian Express, CNBCTV18

Find the blogger: @chirali_08

This post is tagged under: Maha Kumbh, kumbh mela, Kumbh Mela 2025, maha kumbh, maha kumbh 2025, mahakumbh, Mahakumbh 2025, Mahakumbh VIP, Mahakumbh vvip, kumbh VIP, luxury, VIP culture, kumbh VIP culture

Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, or copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.


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Chirali Sharma
Chirali Sharma
Weird. Bookworm. Coffee lover. Fandom expert. Queen of procrastination and as all things go, I'll probably be late to my own funeral. Also, if you're looking for sugar-coated words of happiness and joy in here or my attitude, then stop right there. Raw, direct and brash I am.

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