To address a concern people have long had with the Kumbh Mela – that of getting lost during one of the largest religious gatherings, with around 40 crore people expected to attend Prayagraj in January 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government, A comprehensive “digitalization” plan is being prepared with the help of technical experts.
It also aims to provide visitors with a state-of-the-art “digital Kumbh” bathing experience, officials said on Tuesday.
This will also be part of the plan Google-Navigation of the Kumbh Mela area equipped with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras that can recognize faces and a museum of “Digital Kumbh”, which attempts to combine the age-old tradition with modern technology, which is dedicated to the sacred bath. Help the visitors and sadhus who come for.
To test the initiative long before the actual bathing begins in January, a ‘digital lost and found centre’ will go live from December 1 and officials are on the job to meet the deadline. After testing the success of the AI-powered cameras, work is now underway to install over 300 AI-enabled cameras across the Kumbh areas, which will not only monitor the crowd and provide surveillance but also locate individuals lost in the heavy crowd. Will also help in reuniting.
Having already collaborated with Google, the plan is to coordinate with other social media platforms Facebook and X, to provide information about a missing person as well as help locate them.
“As part of the digital initiative, which will be the first such large-scale exercise, there will be Google-integrated navigation maps of the Mahakumbh area, spread over acres and divided into sectors.”
“Besides, Google-assisted navigation will also provide the locations of ghats, temples, akhadas and saints, which will help not only the pilgrims but also the saints,” a senior official said. He said that digital maps will also help the devotees to reach the Sangam. Ghat for holy bath. He informed that “Instant recognition facility with AI-powered face recognition technology is also being installed.”
A chatbot called “Kumbh Sahayak” is being developed for the event using AI technology, which aims to act as a “personal guide” for the visitors. The aim is to make this service available in more than 10 languages including regional and international as Kumbh will attract tourists not only from different parts of the country but also from abroad. This chatbot will be linked to the online navigation of the Maha Kumbh Maidan and will also update visitors about major events and places inside and outside the Kumbh area.
The government is investing over Rs 21 crore to build a “Digital Kumbh Museum” across 10,000 square meters in Prayagraj, which will have the capacity to accommodate about 2,500 visitors at a time. The Digital Kumbh will have a gallery, in which the “14 gems of Samudra Manthan” will be displayed in detail. It will also give a glimpse of the previous Kumbh Melas in Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain. It aims to provide an “interactive experience” showcasing the tradition and history associated with Kumbh.