Prayagraj: This year’s Magh Mela is set to be more special than ever, with officials beginning extensive preparations to enhance both religious and cultural experiences for devotees and tourists.
While Parade Ground will remain the focal point for swings and the Meena Bazaar, the areas beyond the embankment — including the Sangam, Bade Hanuman Temple, and Akshayavat — will continue to hold special spiritual significance for pilgrims.
On the Jhunsi side, arrangements will cater to saints, sages, and Kalpvasis, while the Arail side will be developed as a dedicated zone for fair viewing and tourism activities.
On Saturday, Divisional Commissioner Soumya Agrawal inspected the Mela area and issued special instructions to give focused attention to development works in Arail.
Sector Seven to Be Developed as a Special Zone
To make Sector Seven distinctive, the Divisional Commissioner directed officials to establish a Culture Village and an Art Village, along with wellness centres across four blocks in the sector.
Adjacent to the New Yamuna Bridge, activities such as paragliding, hot-air balloon rides, and water sports will be organised.
A helicopter service will also be launched from this area, for which the process of empanelling an agency has already been completed.
Officials are also considering hosting cultural programmes in this Arail sector this year.
Earlier, Deputy Mela Officer Vivek Shukla had proposed a site near the Parade Ground, just before the embankment, for cultural events.
However, due to the anticipated heavy crowd and the resulting vehicle parking issues, the Divisional Commissioner rejected this location.
A second site was then proposed on the Parade route from Fort Road crossing towards the Naini Yamuna Bridge.
This location was found suitable by Suresh Sharma, Director of the North Central Zone Cultural Centre (NCZCC), but Regional Tourism Officer Aparajita Singh cautioned that excessive crowding could create problems there as well. After this, Arail remained the third option.
When officials inspected the Arail site, the Divisional Commissioner found it suitable for cultural programmes, particularly because parking facilities are already being developed in a nearby school campus.
She reasoned that if this experiment proves successful, Ara Il could permanently emerge as a new cultural hub. A final decision will be taken soon after a meeting of senior officials.
‘Aagaaz’ to Operate Anna Kshetra During Magh Mela
A meeting of the cultural organisation ‘Aagaaz’ was held on Saturday at Poonam Apartment in Lukerganj to discuss service activities planned for the Magh Mela.
Secretary Sudipa Mitra announced that an Annakshetra (community kitchen) will be operated in the Mela area from Makar Sankranti to Basant Panchami.
Vice-President Dr Rama Montrose suggested enrolling new members for the initiative.
The meeting was chaired by Dr V.K. Mishra, with Treasurer Uttam Banerjee, Seema Biswas, Kaveri Mustafi, Anandita, Nupur Das, Suchitra Raha, Manish Sharma, Archana Chaudhary, and others in attendance.
Expanded Cultural Programming
The Divisional Commissioner Soumya Agrawal was also seen inspecting the Arail site for cultural programmes.
Traditionally, the responsibility of organising cultural events at the Magh Mela rested with the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, which hosted performances by young city talents on the ‘Chalo Mann Ganga Yamuna Teer’ stage.
This year, however, both NCZCC and the Department of Culture will be allotted 12 days each to conduct programmes.
Before the inspection, the Divisional Commissioner held a meeting at the ICCC (Integrated Command and Control Centre), where she discussed plans in detail with officials.
She directed them to approach renowned artists to ensure the programmes are successful and attract wider participation.
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