During the Mahakumbh, the world’s largest religious event, more than 20 leading educational institutions from across the world and the country will camp here to study various aspects related to the Mahakumbh.
Leading institutes like Harvard, Stanford, London School of Economics, Kyoto University, AIIMS, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bengaluru, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras and JNU will send their professors, researchers and students to Prayagraj.
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Research will be done in these areas
Principal Secretary Amrit Abhijat told in a program organized in Lucknow that this is the first time that we are doing institutional support research on various areas like economic impact of Mahakumbh, crowd management, socio-cultural aspects, food distribution chain, anthropological studies. The state government has selected eight different areas and subjects on which the researchers will study. Opening this opportunity for global participation, the Urban Development Department has proposed the idea of conducting a comprehensive study.
Researchers will get resources and stipend in the fair
Principal Secretary said that till 2019, global and domestic institutions used to approach us, but this time we have decided to open the fair area for researchers in advance. The research papers will help the state government to make necessary improvements for future events. We will provide accommodation to the researchers during their visit to Mahakumbh and will also give stipend on successful presentation of research papers. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had suggested inviting the institutions in advance.
Two major areas of research
- Planning and Implementation of Mahakumbh: In this category, the entire process of organizing Mahakumbh, planning, and how to implement it will be studied. In this it will be seen how preparations are made for such a big event and how it is successfully carried out.
- Economic impact and outcome estimation of Mahakumbh: In this category It will be studied what effect the organization of Mahakumbh has on the local and national economy. In this, the expenditure made by tourists, investment made by the government and its long term economic effects will be estimated.
Economic Impact Study
Spending by tourists in various categories such as accommodation, food, transport, religious activities and entertainment will help in predicting the outcome of the Maha Kumbh. Also, a study on the expenditure incurred by the state and central government will tell what kind of contribution it has made in the development of infrastructure required for Mahakumbh.
Pop-up Metropolis
The pop-up city, which will be built using tents, pontoons and bamboo structures, will provide accommodation to lakhs of pilgrims and these structures will be completely removed after the Maha Kumbh is over. This temporary settlement will be equipped with all types of facilities, which will include spatial zoning, infrastructure supply, food distribution network and public gathering places.
Unique Challenges and Opportunities
Welcoming 400 million visitors presents an unprecedented challenge and opportunity for Prayagraj, with a population of 5.5 million, which has always been a center of attraction for institutions. This grand event is celebrated every 12 years when the Sun, Moon and Jupiter converge in a particular celestial position.
