Traffic problems at Maha Kumbh: After a severe jam, a "no vehicle zone" is declared ahead of Maghi Purnima Snan | Advisory

Before Maghi Purnima, thousands of devotees were caught in heavy traffic on their way to Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh.

The whole Maha Kumbh area has been designated as a "no vehicle zone" in preparation for the "Maghi Purnima Snan," which is set for Wednesday, February 12. This comes a day after people were stuck in traffic jams for almost 30 hours in multiple locations.

Ahead of Maghi Purnima on Monday, thousands of devotees traveling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh were stranded in severe traffic bottlenecks that reportedly stretched 300 kilometers. The seriousness of the situation was indicated by the police's request that passengers turn around if they could.

According to Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar, who spoke to news agency PTI, traffic jams are unavoidable during Maha Kumbh because of the sheer volume of devotees—the largest human gathering in history—rather than poor management.

Since the Maha Kumbh started on January 13, more than 40 crore devotees have already taken a sacred dip at the Sangam, and millions more are still coming every day, according to the top cop.

Maghi Purnima traffic alert for Maha Kumbh
In anticipation of increased devotee attendance for the "Maghi Purnima Snan," the Maha Kumbh district administration has created a traffic strategy.

In order to facilitate devotees' bathing, the entire mela region has been designated as a no-vehicle zone, commencing February 11 at 4 am. Emergency and necessary services will be permitted.

On February 11, after 5 p.m., Prayagraj city will likewise introduce a no-vehicle zone. Emergency and essential services will not be charged.

On February 11, vehicles belonging to devotees traveling from outside Prayagraj city for the Maha Kumbh bath will be parked in the lots along the corresponding roads after 4 a.m. This approach will not apply to emergency or critical service vehicles.

Until devotees are safely evacuated from the Mela area on February 12, the traffic arrangements outlined in the alert will continue to be in place.

Vehicles belonging to "Kalpvasi" will be subject to the same restrictions on entering and leaving Prayagraj city and the mela area.