Devotees from Telangana, AP make beeline to Maha Kumbh mela

Braving bone-chilling cold weather, several devotees from twin cities and some of them from Coastal Andhra already visited Prayagraj to take a holy dip in the sacred waters of the sangam, as Maha Kumbh mela enters its second week, according to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chapter of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).

TAAI Telangana and AP Chapter Treasurer, Pericharla Krishnam Raju, told Deccan Chronicle on Tuesday that the response from devotees intending to travel to Kumbh mela was overwhelming and increasing every day.

“We are getting numerous calls from devotees to make travel arrangements for Prayagraj and the demand might increase manifold in the next few days,” he explained.

As most devotees from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are unaware of the topography of Prayagraj and its surroundings, devotees are relying on private travel agents to make fool-proof arrangements for taking part in the mela.

Since the commencement of mela on January 13, the travel agents are flooded with calls requesting to avail tour packages for Prayagraj. Each recognized travel agent is getting more than two dozen calls every day.

As Maha Kumbh mela would happen once in 144 years, devotees are leaving no stone unturned in participating in it with their family and friends and make their trip a memorable one. A few families are hiring private tourist buses, while some are going either by flight or train.

After failing to secure confirmed train tickets, most devotees are opting to travel by flight resulting in huge demand. In view of the demand, the cost of each flight ticket has also gone up significantly. For instance, the cost of a flight ticket to reach Lucknow from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad used to hover between Rs.8,000 and Rs.12,000 and it has now gone up to Rs.15,000 to Rs.25,000 depending upon the demand.

After landing at Lucknow, the devotees must hire a private vehicle to reach Prayagraj by road, the travel agents said.