Oh My God! Maha Kumbh drives 162% jump in flight bookings; hotels brimming with tourists

Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 begins from January 13.

The sacred city of Prayagraj is topping the wishlist of many Indian as well foreign tourists as people gather for one of the largest and most significant religious events in the world — the Maha Kumbh. This has caused demand for flights and hotels to spike off the charts.

The 2025 Maha Kumbh is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as it has come back after 148 years, said Giresh Kulkarni, Founder of Temple Connect and International Temples Convention and Expo (ITCX). Unlike other Kumbhs, the Maha Kumbh sees a special cosmic alignment, which adds more spiritual significance to the event.

With Prayagraj now connected to over 20 destinations through direct and one-hop flights, compared to just one (Delhi) during the last Kumbh, aviation is playing a pivotal role in getting pilgrims and other tourists to this year's Mela, pointed out Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo.

Little wonder that the city has recorded a 162 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in flight bookings on ixigo. Nearby airports like Varanasi and Lucknow have witnessed a 127  and 42 percent growth in bookings, respectively.

Travel demand is particularly high during the event’s opening and closing weeks, said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip. "Searches for Prayagraj have surged by over 23 times YoY," he said.

The Maha Kumbh is also expected to drive foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) at a time when that's been lower than pre-Covid levels.

"We’ve received a substantial number of bookings from both domestic and international travellers, including large group booking. The interest isn’t just from travellers aged 50 and above, but also from younger people who are excited to experience the Maha Kumbh,'' said Rikant Pittie, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip.

The number of foreign groups at this Kumbh are way higher than  in previous ones, noted Rajiv Mehra, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). This is due to a massive publicity drive undertaken by the Uttar Pradesh tourism department.

Along with flights, trains too are chock-a-block with tourists headed for the Maha Kumbh.

"Train bookings for Prayagraj have surged 187 percent YoY. What’s interesting is that 57 percent of the bookings are by solo travellers, 39 percent of which are females. Group bookings stand at 43 percent," said Dinesh Kumar Kotha, CEO, ixigo Trains and ConfirmTkt.

Higher fares

One-way airfares from major metros to Prayagraj and surrounding airports are averaging between Rs 7,000-10,000 if booked 30 days in advance. However, on certain routes like Bhopal-Prayagraj, fares have gone up to Rs 17,000 one-way due to peak demand and limited flight availability.

Fares are also trending higher for travel before key snan (holy bath) dates. For example, fares for January 27 from key metros like Mumbai are as much as Rs 27,000 one-way for non-stop flights, according to ixigo. The platform has also launched a microsite for the Maha Kumbh, which has details on travel and accommodation options, safety tips, rituals, and activities.

Airfares to Prayagraj from cities such as Jaipur, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Kochi, and Mumbai have jumped almost 3X compared to the same period last year, said Anuj Rathi, Chief Business and Growth Officer, Cleartrip.

Delhi-Prayagraj and Mumbai-Varanasi are the key feeder routes that are seeing a surge in traffic, said Ramalingam S., President, Cox & Kings. Connecting flights from tier 2 cities like Ahmedabad and Pune to destinations in Uttar Pradesh are also experiencing elevated demand and pricing.

"Airfares to Prayagraj and Lucknow from cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata have jumped as much as  70 percent on peak Maha Kumbh dates, " he added.

Tent town

Magow said the 2,000-tent mini city at the event is seeing strong demand as devotees desire an immersive experience closer to the heart of the action.

"People choose  tents because they want to be closer to the Triveni Sangam (a sacred site at the confluence of three rivers). Being in a tent is like living inside the festival. Many prefer that to staying far away in a hotel and travelling to the Kumbh," said Kulkarni.

"It's about 50 percent full now,  but things will pick up as many people do last-minute bookings. Also, the allocation of land was slightly delayed this time due to the 2024 UP elections. There was a lot of last-minute rush to set up the tents. But the government was able to complete things on time," added Kulkarni.

As for the tents themselves, there's a wide selection ranging from luxury to dormitory. There are tents run by private organisations and corporates, and even those managed by religious bodies like ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness).

Pittie added that with the event expected to attract over 1.5 to 2 crore visitors, a wide range of accommodation options have been made available. Kulkarni pointed out that a tent can cost anything between Rs 12,500 to Rs 50,000 per night.

Premium digs such as the Ultimate Travelling Camp's luxurious tents, priced at Rs 1 lakh per night, are already fully booked for key dates, including the royal bathing days. Other options, like the IRCTC's Mahakumbh Gram and the UPSTDC Tent Colony, offer a variety of rooms, from basic to deluxe, with prices ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 35,000 per night, Pittie said.

Luxury hotels in the area are charging between Rs 11,000 to Rs 30,000 per night, with some premium establishments going up to Rs 40,000. "Many accommodations near the Triveni Sangam are already fully booked for the main dates,'' Pittie added.

EaseMyTrip has set up a luxury tent and is seeing many bookings from south and north India, as well as from the US and the UK. "Around 40 percent of the bookings are from people aged between 30-35, and 20 percent are from senior citizens who are booking for longer stays. Additionally, we’ve organised special tents where people can meet Gurus and listen to their discourse during the event," Pittie said.

Prayagraj has seen a 10X jump in hotel bookings compared to the same period last year, said Rathi. Indeed, hotels are already more than 85 percent booked for the peak Maha Kumbh dates in January and February, said Ramalingam.

January 13 marks the beginning of Maha Kumbh, which will go on till February 26.

"Premium and mid-range hotels were fully booked months in advance, and the remaining accommodations are experiencing a price surge of 50-60 percent compared to non-Kumbh months. Demand is spilling over to the closest cities, Varanasi and Lucknow. There, hotels have seen a 40-50 percent surge in bookings,'' he said.