Maha Kumbh: Holy journey becomes dearer as airfare hits all-time high; Chilkur Balaji priest, VHP send SOS

Hyderabad: Maha Kumbh 2025 has become the world’s largest human gathering.

Lakhs of devotees including tourists, politicians, and celebrities arrive in Prayagraj daily to take a dip at the confluence of two holy rivers.

The religious festival happens every 12 years on the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj. Officials this year expect up to 400 million people to visit the site in Uttar Pradesh over the next six weeks. But what's most concerning is the rising airfares to Prayagraj.

While there are not many train tickets available, many devotees want to travel by air to take a dip in the river. But the sad part is Airlines are charging exorbitant prices. Many people are complaining about the fleecing by Airlines including IndiGo, and Spicejet.

Airlines are charging fares between Rs 30,000- Rs 50,000 to travel from cities like Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Air tickets from Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi cost more than Rs 47,500. Likewise, tickets from Bengaluru cost over Rs 51,000. On Basant Panchami, which falls on February 3; Maghi Purnima, which falls on February 12; and Maha Shivratri, which falls on February 26, air tickets have gone through the roof.

When NewsMeter checked travel websites for fares from Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Airlines including IndiGo and Spicejet are charging up to Rs 39,000 for one-way travel in February.

For example: For January 30, 2025, ticket fares from Visakhapatnam to Prayagraj (IXD) are at Rs 33,000 (1 stop). The same flight, for February 15, is at the cost of Rs 38,000.

Similarly, from Hyderabad to Prayagraj, ticket fares are between Rs 29,000- Rs 34,962.

From Mumbai, the tickets cost Rs 46,000, while fare from Delhi, which is closer to Prayagraj, is Rs 31,000.

For a direct one-way ticket, devotees going from Bengaluru need to pay from Rs 26,000 to Rs 48,000.

Post February 26 when Maha Kumbh ends, Airlines are charging normal airfare. For example, the air ticket from Mumbai to Prayagarj costs 14,000 during weekends after February 26. Likewise, it costs Rs 18,000 from Bengaluru, Rs 10,000 from Hyderabad, and Rs 13,000 from Visakhapatnam after February.

Speaking to NewsMeter, Sai, a resident of Visakhapatnam who is planning to visit Maha Kumbh said, "An international trip to the Maldives or Singapore can cost you much less than a holy dip during the Maha Kumbh. For example, a trip to Singapore costs around between Rs 20,000 - Rs 30,000. It's time for the officials to take action on exorbitant prices."

Increase in flights:

To meet the increased demand for air travel to Prayagraj during Mahakumbh, DGCA has approved 81 additional flights in January, raising Prayagraj connectivity to 132 flights from across India.

Increase in bookings for January:

According to Skyscanner, the number of bookings on January 28 increased by 675 percent in comparison to a normal day. The report suggests the number of bookings has increased by 1,776 percent from the same time last year when Prayagraj hosted no events.

According to the latest official figures provided by the Uttar Pradesh government, on Sunday 1.17 crore people took a dip in the Sangam till the late afternoon.

Chilkur Balaji Priest raises concern:

Reacting to the exorbitant prices, Chief Priest of Chilkur Balaji Temple CS Rangarajan on Tuesday addressed devotees who complained of Airline extortion for those visiting the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. Many complained about how Airlines are charging exorbitant prices per ticket.

Rangarajan highlighted the sharp increase in airfares, with general class tickets reportedly priced 200% to 700% higher than usual. Calling the practice "unfair and unethical" the priest said that the devotees travelling to and from the Maha Kumbh are facing significant inconvenience, particularly as railway tickets are also in short supply.

On January 27, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) called for immediate intervention by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to address the issue of exorbitant airfares charged by airlines during the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal expressed concern over the skyrocketing ticket prices, labeling them as unjust and unethical. He demanded prompt action to ensure fair pricing for pilgrims.