Sangam city enhances pilgrim comfort amid rising footfall

Hindustan Times

07-05-2025

Sangam, the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati—which hosts the Kumbh Mela and is recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year to its banks—is set to witness a major fillip to visitor-friendly services. A view of the Sangam area in Prayagraj (HT)
The Prayagraj Mela Authority (PMA) has begun steps to introduce golf carts for the benefit of tourists and visitors, especially the aged and the differently abled, to visit various sites on the Sangam banks, including the banks of the sacred confluence, the Bade Hanuman temple corridor, the Akshayvat temple, etc.
A 'Hop On-Hop Off' (HOHO) bus service, too, is set to be started by PMA to take visitors from Prayagraj Junction to all key tourist and religious attractions of Prayagraj at affordable rates. Requests for Proposal (RFP) for both these new initiatives have already been floated, with proposals invited till May 15, shared Vijay Kiran Anand, Mela Adhikari, PMA.
'Both services are now necessary to promote tourism in Prayagraj city. Our effort is to provide comfort and ease to every visitor coming here,' he added.
After the Mahakumbh-2025, the number of devotees visiting Prayagraj has increased by 10 to 15%, claim officials. A large number of these devotees are elderly and some are differently abled. After somehow reaching Sangam, they often face a lot of difficulty in going to the temples. Many times, the vehicles they take are expensive and they have to walk for several kilometres. The golf carts would resolve this issue, they maintained.
Officials said that the PMA seeks to engage agencies to provide, operate, and maintain a minimum of 20 golf carts in the Sangam area. The selected vendor shall operate golf carts with a minimum seating capacity of 8 (including the golf cart driver). E-rickshaws, three-wheelers, auto rickshaws, etc., shall not be considered as golf carts. The selected vendor will need to develop charging infrastructure with fast-charging capabilities, they shared.
Likewise, qualified service providers have been invited to submit proposals for engagement of an agency for providing the Hop-On Hop-Off (HOHO) Bus service for key tourist destinations within Prayagraj. This service aims to provide convenient, efficient, and eco-friendly transportation options for tourists visiting major attractions in the city, said officials.
This service will cater to tourists visiting the major attractions within the city, ensuring ease of access and a seamless experience for both local and international tourists, with the help of a fleet of buses operating on designated routes connecting prominent tourist sites, said officials.
Meanwhile, PMA has also begun the process for acquiring trash skimmers and waste removal boats embellished with aquatic weed removal features for collecting floating waste and weeds on the waters of the Ganga and Yamuna near Sangam, as well as a towing boat.
PMA has procured floating jetties with changing rooms which are to be arranged at Sangam to provide people with platforms for having a safe and secure bathing experience. A towing boat serves as a practical solution to tow the jetty platforms to the desired location during the Mela and move the jetties back to a safe location before the start of the flood, said officials.