Majority of Maha Kumbh pilgrims hit with 50-300% price hikes on air travel, local stay: Survey

Hyderabad: As many as 87 per cent of air travellers to the Maha Kumbh Mela being held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh stated that they paid 50-300 per cent over the regular airfare to reach the religious gathering, as per a nationwide survey done by LocalCircles.

The financial woes of the pilgrims did not stop there. In the survey, as many as 67 per cent of those who visited the Maha Kumbh Mela and took local rental accommodation (room, tent, etc.) said that they paid 50-300 per cent over the regular rent. The situation continued with local transportation too such as boat rides with 66 per cent of the pilgrims stating that they paid 50-300 per cent over the regular rate.

The controversy behind exorbitant prices

At the end of January, it came to light that airline companies were charging 300-600 per cent more than their regular fares for pilgrims travelling to Maha Kumbh Mela. Many sections protested the price gouging and the issue was also raised in the Parliament.

Airline companies immediately dropped the prices—the Delhi-Prayagraj fares had dropped from Rs 40,000 to Rs 15,000—but raised them again by February 11.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari accused the airline operators of ‘looting’ the public under the guise of faith and tradition. It was not only the airfares to and from Prayagraj that have risen sharply but also stay in hotels in the city and tents pitched near the ghats and the boat rides, as many desired to take a dip in the river where there is more depth.

Here’s an in-depth breakdown of how each aspect of the trip became costly for the pilgrims.

Only 13% paid the regular fare

In the LocalCircles survey, out of 16,215 respondents who responded to the question 'When you or your family members went to Maha Kumbh, how much more did you pay than regular prices for air tickets?' only 13 per cent stated that they did not pay any additional fare and got the air tickets at the regular rate.

However, 38 per cent of respondents stated that they paid 50-100 per cent more than regular fare; 12 per cent stated they paid 100-200 per cent more than regular fare; 12 per cent said they paid 200-300 per cent more than regular fare and 25 per cent stated they paid over 300 per cent more than regular fare.

The data on persons who spent 50-300 per cent more on air travel added up to 87 per cent.

67% per cent paid 50-300% more for local stay

The LocalCircles survey asked people, “When you or your family members went to Maha Kumbh, how much more did you pay than regular prices for accommodation like tents, hotel rooms, lodges, etc.?”

Out of 16,549 who responded to the question 26 per cent stated they did not pay anything extra. However, 14 per cent of respondents stated they paid up to 50 per cent more than regular rate; 14 per cent stated they paid 50-100 per cent more than regular rate; 7 per cent stated they paid 100-200 per cent more than regular rate; 14 per cent of respondents said they paid 200-300 per cent more than regular rate; and 18 per cent said they paid over 300 per cent more than regular rate.

Costly local travel

The same increase in prices was also seen for local transportation.

While answering the question ‘When you or your family members went to Maha Kumbh, how much more did you pay than regular prices for local transportation and boat rides etc.?’ 16,512 respondents said they did not pay any additional rate.

However, 66 per cent of respondents were not that fortunate as they had to pay 50-300 per cent over the regular rate.

Here’s a graphical breakdown of the additional expenses paid by Maha Kumbh pilgrims on local transportation.

When was the hike in prices most noticeable?

The hike in prices was most during the auspicious days. For instance, during Mauni Amavasya in Maha Kumbh on January 29, the accommodation costs surged dramatically. Private tents and hotels increased their rates nearly threefold.

Hotel rates, which had already gone up because of Maha Kumbh from Rs 2,500-3,000 to the range of Rs 6,000-7,000, spiked further to over Rs 22,000 for Mauni Amavasya, Basant Panchami Snan or Maghi Purnima Snan.

Similarly, private tent rentals rose from Rs 15,000 to a staggering Rs 45,000 per night. For those seeking a luxurious stay, a special luxury cottage for three nights cost Rs 2.40 lakh, while the accommodation in Dome City costs up to Rs 91,000. These packages include essential amenities such as breakfast and other meals.

MP Pramod Tiwari said that the fare from Chennai to Prayagraj stood at Rs 53,000, a round-trip between Kolkata and Prayagraj was priced at Rs 35,000, while fares from Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai soared to Rs 47,500 during mela.

The survey brought to the fore how for important events like this there is a need to regulate charges for air travel, accommodation and local transportation. According to most travellers who went to Maha Kumbh, service providers making a profit is acceptable but what is not acceptable is unchecked profiteering.

The scope of the survey

LocalCircles’ survey received over 49,000 responses from Maha Kumbh travellers from 303 districts. As many as 62 per cent of respondents were men and 38 per cent were women. As many as 44 per cent of respondents were from Tier 1, 25 per cent from Tier 2 and 31 per cent respondents were from tier 3, 4, 5 and rural districts.