Maha Kumbh | 11 Jun 2024

Why in News?

In a statement released after an official meeting the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that the Maha Kumbh, which is being organised in Prayagraj in 2025, will have a "big impact" on the state's economy with crores of people attending the event.

  • A study should be conducted on attracting both domestic and foreign tourists, and a concrete action plan should be developed for this purpose.

Key Points

  • In the official meeting, the Chief Minister discussed the ongoing efforts, current results and future policy towards fulfilling the resolution of making the state a USD 1 trillion economy.
  • It is emphasized that all the ministers and senior officials should make special efforts towards ease of living and maximum employment generation.
  • The total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state was 16.45 lakh crore in 2021-22. It increased to more than 25.48 lakh crores in 2023-24.
    • Uttar Pradesh is contributing 9.2% to the national income and is becoming the growth engine of the country's development as the second largest economy of the country.
    • The unemployment rate of the state, which was 6.2% in 2017-18, has come down to 2.4% in 2024.

Maha Kumbh

  • Kumbh Mela comes under United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
  • It is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river.
    • It takes place on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik, the Shipra river in Ujjain, the Ganges in Haridwar, and the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river in Prayagraj. The confluence is referred to as the ‘Sangam‘.
  • As it is held in four different cities in India, it involves different social and cultural activities, making this a culturally diverse festival.
  • The over month-long fair is marked by the construction of a massive tented township, complete with cottages, huts, platforms, civic facilities, administrative and security measures.
    • It is organized immaculately by the government, the local authorities and the police.
  • The mela is especially renowned for the presence of an extraordinary array of religious ascetics enticed from remote hideaways in forests, mountains and caves

.