The Uttar Pradesh government will establish a "tent city" with 2,000 luxury beds spread over 25 hectares with the goal of making Mahakumbh 2025 a historic occasion. The tender for this project will be issued on Friday.

According to officials, the tender would let developers compete for one of ten 2.5-hectare plots, each of which could have 200 beds. Each plot will provide guests several forms of luxury lodging, including villas, super deluxe, and deluxe room options, as reported by The Indian Express.

To give visitors, especially younger tourists, a unique experience, the government is also thinking about offering amenities like sleeping pods, container lodging, and water and adventure sports, among others.

Over 40 crore people are anticipated to attend the Mahakumbh, which will takes place every 12 years.

Potential for capacity expansion

The most recent Mahakumbh was held in 2013, when the Samajwadi Party-led government in the state was led by Akhilesh Yadav. Officials reported that 12 crore pilgrims attended the 45-day festival. The Ardha Kumbh, which is held every six years, attracted almost 24 crore visitors in 2019.

According to officials, 1,200 beds in tent facilities with a first phase capacity of 2,000 beds were created in 2019.

Depending on the response of the developers, the facility may be expanded further. According to sources, the government has set aside a budget of Rs 2,500 crore for the occasion in order to speed up preparations at various levels, as reported by The Indian Express.

“The tender will be floated on Friday. We have decided to develop a tent city on 10 plots of 2.5 hectares each. Every plot will have 200 beds with all the required amenities. Our target is to develop accommodation with 2,000 beds in the first phase,” stated Ashwani Kumar Pandey, Managing Director of the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation, the key organisation that will be announcing the tender for the construction of the tent city in Prayagraj.

In order to allow multiple operators with experience in both creating tent cities and related industries, such as hospitality, Pandey said the tender has been made flexible. It is anticipated that the tent city will house visitors for around two months.

"In the next phase, we are planning to explore innovative ideas like sleeping pods, container accommodation, etc., and providing water and adventure sports facilities," said Pandey, adding that they are also looking into all-terrain vehicles, or ATV bikes, which can travel on both sand and pavement. Several "snans" (holy baths), including six main "snans," will occur during the 45-day celebration beginning on January 13 in 2025.

Varanasi's Tent City

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Varanasi Tent City earlier this year.

The Tent City was built on the banks of the Ganga, across from the renowned ghats of the holy city, with the intention of utilising the area's tourism potential.

The Tent City, which was created by the Varanasi Development Authority in a public-private partnership model, offers accommodations to visitors along with live classical music performances and yoga classes, among other things.

Boats departing from various Varanasi ghats are available to transport tourists to the Tent City.

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