Prayagraj ‘exhausted’? Locals plead for visitors to stop coming to Mahakumbh

Mahakumbh 2025: Over 600 million devotees have taken a holy dip at the Mahakumbh so far, and the numbers are expected to rise further, with Maha Shivratri just around the corner on February 26.

Prominent personalities such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ambanis, and several other international icons, including Laurene Powell and Chris Martin, have taken the sacred dip in the Triveni Sangam during  Mahakumbh 2025. 

The 'spiritual appeal' of the Mahakumbh has come with a steep price tag. Devotees have paid up to 300 per cent more for flights, accommodation and local transport to be a part of this once-in-144-year experience.

Due to this influx of tourists, the locals are not happy. One Reddit user recently posted that ‘Prayagraj is exhausted’ and desperately appealed to visitors to avoid the holy gathering.

“But now it’s 19th February. The last Amrit Snan is already done. We are literally in the ending phase of Mahakumbh. So why the hell is the crowd only increasing instead of decreasing?! [sic]” questioned the user on Reddit.

‘Locals being blamed’

The user went on further, claiming that the sheer volume of tourists has made it difficult for locals to go about their everyday lives.

“The worst part? We locals are being blamed. Yesterday, I thought, 'Chalo, jo bacha-kucha hai, ghoom lete hain (Let's roam the rest of the city).' Biggest mistake. I took my vehicle out, only to be stopped by random strangers yelling at me, saying, ‘Aap logon ki wajah se jam lag raha hai!’(There is traffic congestion because of you).' Bruh, we live here [sic],” added the person.

The Reddit post also accused pedestrians of spitting and littering with no regard for civic etiquette, while vehicles only worsened the "already insane" traffic.

Mahakumbh waste

Mahakumbh reportedly generates around 400 tonnes of waste daily. The holy gathering also generated around 14,000 metric tonnes of solid waste, which has been disposed of, according to a report by the Times of India.

The Mahakumbh began on January 12 and will end on February 26, the same day as Maha Shivratri.

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