Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis being applied a ‘tilak’ by a priest as he offers prayers at Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple, in Nashik on Sunday (March 23, 2025).
| Photo Credit: X/Devendra Fadnavis via ANI
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday (March 23, 2025) announced a ₹1,100 crore plan for the development of Trimbakeshwar Temple and the establishment of a Kumbh Mela Authority Law, modelled after Uttar Pradesh. This law provides a legal framework for Kumbh Mela-related projects and facilitates effective crowd management.
Mr. Fadnavis made these announcements during his visit to Nashik to review preparations for the Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027 in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. During the meeting, the delegation discussed the proposed Trimbakeshwar development plan.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the plan focuses on the utilisation of public transport and the integration of electric vehicles in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, the arrangement of effective solid waste management and sanitation facilities, the initiation of sewage treatment projects for the purification of the Godavari River, and the enhancement temple’s infrastructure to accommodate the influx of devotees during the upcoming Kumbh Mela in Nashik, using technology.
“Nashik’s Kumbh Mela will be the union of faith and technology. All arrangements will be technology-integrated and artificial intelligence (AI) powered, from crowd management to other facilities, which will be technology-driven. People will experience an immersive spiritual experience through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).”
The ₹1,100 crore plan will be executed in two phases – one till 2027 and the second after 2027. “We believe the influx will be high,” Mr. Fadnavis added. During an event of CII Young Indians in Nashik, he highlighted that the Mela will be held across 300 acres.
Mr. Fadnavis pointed out that the Mela will have entrepreneurial value. The Uttar Pradesh Kumbh Mela brought a culture of tourism and entrepreneurship, and their economy benefitted significantly. “We will see when the figures come out. We are expecting the same and want Nashik’s and Maharashtra’s youth to join the Mela in their respective capacities.”
Mr. Fadnavis acknowledged the delay in development plans and said, “We are behind schedule. If we had started in 2020, things would have been better. For the past five years, there has been turmoil in Maharashtra. We started preparations last year, and planning has been ongoing since then. Let’s see how it goes.”
Published – March 23, 2025 11:30 pm IST