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Uttar Pradesh govt to catalyse religious, spiritual tourism circuits
This comes in the backdrop of an estimated congregation of 660 million tourists and pilgrims during the 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26
Virendra Singh Rawat Lucknow
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Uttar Pradesh (UP) is giving a major booster shot to the religious and spiritual tourism circuits in the state to meet its $1 trillion economy goal.
The project would cover major pilgrimage destinations which include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura, and Prayagraj.
This comes in the backdrop of an estimated congregation of 660 million tourists and pilgrims during the 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.
To capitalise on the state's cultural and spiritual heritage, the government is embarking upon a project of ₹4,560 crore to upgrade the roads infrastructure interlinking the religious tourism centres. The roadmap encompasses
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Maha Kumbh sparked ₹500 cr tax surge in UP, spurred economic growth: Report
The 45-day Maha Kumbh held in Prayagraj has proven to be more than just a massive religious gathering — it has become a significant economic event for Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. Attracting about 66 crore pilgrims, the mela is said to have generated substantial revenue for the state government, driven largely by a sharp increase in tax collections and fuel sales, a MoneyControl report said on Saturday. Official figures, accessed by the news portal, reveal that the Maha Kumbh contributed around ₹500 crore in additional Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Value Added Tax (VAT) to the state exchequer. A senior official from the tax department is quoted as saying, "The Maha Kumbh has contributed around ₹500 crore in additional GST/VAT to the state exchequer, clearly reflecting the scale and reach of this religious and cultural phenomenon." In the first two months of 2025 alone — January and February — tax collections from sectors directly tied to the event totalled ₹239.47 crore. Prayagraj was the highest contributor, generating ₹146.4 crore, while other religious centres like Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Noida also saw increased collections. Sector-wise contributions Sectorally, Indian Railways led the way with ₹124.6 crore in tax contributions. Tent houses and advertising together generated ₹9.38 crore, while the hotel industry added ₹7.12 crore. An increase in air travel across the state resulted in ₹68.37 crore in taxes. In Prayagraj itself, ₹2.15 crore was collected through tax deducted at source (TDS), with another ₹9.3 crore pending clearance. Local bodies like the Public Works Department (PWD) and Nagar Nigam also played a part in boosting revenue. The financial impact extended well beyond Prayagraj. Noida reported ₹12 crore in collections, primarily from hotels and online travel platforms. Varanasi added ₹8.42 crore and Ayodhya ₹2.28 crore, as per the report. The rise in digital travel bookings and the hospitality industry highlighted the growing role of religious tourism in the state's economy. Fuel sales reflect increased mobility Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) data for January and February 2025 shows a notable jump in fuel consumption. Petrol sales in Prayagraj surged by 81.95% in February alone — rising from 6,058 kilolitres last year to 11,022.5 kilolitres. January saw a rise from 5,253 kilolitres to 7,157 kilolitres. One kilolitre is equal to 1,000 litres. Diesel consumption also grew. January sales increased from 10,204 to 12,428 kilolitres, while February sales climbed to 13,777.5 kilolitres from 11,061 kilolitres. This reflects an overall fuel volume increase of over 11,800 kilolitres across both months. The economic ripple effect touched smaller businesses too. As many pilgrims travelled in private vehicles, the demand at roadside eateries, small hotels, and fuel stations surged — especially in and around Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Ayodhya, as well as along key highways. While much of this informal activity goes unrecorded in tax data, it contributed significantly to the local economy. Return on government spending The Uttar Pradesh government allocated around ₹7,500 crore towards the Maha Kumbh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath defended the expenditure, stating, 'If an investment of ₹7,500 crore by the Central and state governments can generate economic activity worth ₹3 to ₹3.5 trillion, isn't it a wise investment?' An estimate by the Confederation of All India Traders supported this, suggesting that if every pilgrim spent ₹5,000 during their visit, the overall economic value of the mela would reach ₹2 trillion.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Mahakumbh ripple effect: GST, VAT collections, fuel sales soar in Uttar Pradesh
The Prayagraj Mahakumbh, the 45-day mega religious event that concluded on February 26, not only drew 66 crore (660 million) pilgrims but also generated a significant economic footprint across Uttar Pradesh. The event led to a sharp rise in tax collections across the sectors as well in fuel sales, helping the Uttar Pradesh government earn an additional around ₹500 crore revenue as Goods and Services Tax (GST)/Value Added Tax (VAT). According to official data accessed by the HT, the government collected ₹239.47 crore in taxes from just a few sectors related to the Mahakumbh in January and February 2025. Prayagraj alone accounted for ₹146.4 crore, the highest among all zones. Simultaneously, the Indian Oil Corporation reported an average 36.25% increase in petrol and diesel sales in the district during January and February — a direct outcome of the heightened mobility and logistics demand. 'The Mahakumbh has contributed around ₹500 crore additional GST/VAT to the state exchequer, showing the scale of activities during the event,' a senior state tax department official said. The tax increase spans key sectors, including railways, air travel, hotels, tent houses, advertising and civic bodies. In Prayagraj, tax receipts stood at ₹76.75 crore in February (January revenue paid in February) and ₹65.81 crore in March (February tax paid in March) along with ₹2.15 crore collected as TDS (Tax Deducted at Source). 'Railways alone contributed ₹124.6 crore ( ₹68.79 crore in February and ₹55.81 crore in March), while tent houses and advertising generated ₹9.38 crore, and the hotel sector ₹7.12 crore. Contributions also came from departments such as PWD and Nagar Nigam,' the official said, citing the data. Other districts played their part, too. Noida collected ₹12 crore, largely from hotels and online booking platforms, Varanasi ₹8.42 crore and Ayodhya ₹2.28 crore. Air travel-related tax collection across the state stood at ₹68.37 crore. Officials noted that ₹9.3 crore in TDS is still due from Prayagraj-based entities, expected to be cleared soon. Kumbh-driven traffic Indian Oil's data submitted to the government shows petrol (MS) sales rose by an average of 60.72%, while diesel (HSD) sales increased by 23.24% during January and February 2025 in Prayagraj. The combined fuel sales in these two months rose by 11,809 KL, marking a 36.25% overall growth compared to the same period last year. In January, petrol sales rose from 5,253 KL to 7,157 KL (up 1,904 KL, or 36.25%), and in February, from 6,058 KL to 11,022.50 KL (up 4,964.50 KL or 81.95%). Diesel sales registered a rise from 10,204 KL to 12,428 KL in January (up 2,224 KL, or 21.8%) and from 11,061 KL to 13,777.50 KL in February (up 2,716.50 KL, or 24.56%). 'To meet the surge in demand, Indian Oil operated 123 retail outlets (ROs) round-the-clock in and around Prayagraj and along key routes leading to the Kumbh venue. These outlets reported a growth of 59.4% in petrol sales and 14.8% in diesel sales during the Kumbh period,' a senior IOC official disclosed. 'All 123 ROs offered essential amenities such as free drinking water, air, first-aid kits, and clean washrooms to support the massive inflow of pilgrims and vehicles,' he added. Officials said the combined rise in tax revenue and fuel consumption underlines the Mahakumbh's vast economic ripple effect — boosting travel, hospitality, and public services while highlighting massive investment by the government in the infrastructure for such mega-events.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Absence of devotees at Sangam impacting livelihood of boatmen
Prayagraj: The ongoing summer and sultry weather conditions seem to have left their impact on the turnout of the pilgrims and devotees at Sangam as the banks of Ganga are witnessing a thin attendance of devotees and pilgrims from all across the country, impacting the livelihood of boatmen. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Although the boatmen claim to have earned hefty profits during Maha Kumbh, they are now finding few takers. President of Prayagraj Navik Sangh, Pappu Nishad, told TOI, "The ongoing summer season has hit the turnout as there is limited attendance of devotees and pilgrims flocking to Sangam and hiring boats to take holy dips and perform rituals. In the current scenario, a limited section of devotees travelling to Sangam are from Varanasi or Ayodhya. Those arriving in Varanasi or Ayodhya to seek blessings of Lord Shiva and Lord Ram often plan their tours to Sangam in Prayagraj to take holy dips and perform rituals. " However, the strength of such devotees is very limited and directly impacting the income of boatmen. In the current scenario, a boatman is charging Rs 50 for a devotee to ferry a pilgrim from Quila Ghat to Sangam, and the rate from other ghats to Sangam is more or less. Shantanu, a boatman, told TOI, "Around 75% of all around 1,500 boatmen in and around Prayagraj earn their livelihoods by catering to the pilgrims at the limited attendance of visitors who arrive at Sangam to take holy dips, boatmen are fighting to earn big earnings. The strength of devotees has declined since the temperature crossed 42 degrees Celsius." Rakesh, another boatman, asserted, "We are hardly able to manage better earnings by catering to the few visitors who arrive either to take holy dips or to immerse the mortal remains." A section of boatmen who were earlier engaged in ferrying pilgrims during the season are planning to do some other work to earn a livelihood.
