Mumbai: With over 12 crore pilgrims expected and a peak-day footfall estimated at 2.5 crore, Maharashtra is planning an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled crowd management system for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027 in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar. Authorities are also looking at AI-based apps and systems for pilgrim assistance and emergency services.
A workshop held last week brought senior government officials face-to-face with engineers and strategists from global technology companies, including Meta, Google, Microsoft and MIT Media Lab, along with Indian digital and AI firms, such as Bhashini, Soket.ai and Adya.ai. Cost estimates are still being worked out.
This workshop was part of a wider series of industry and expert consultations being undertaken by the Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA) under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The authority, in a statement after the workshop, said, the objective is to make the 2027 Kumbh Mela edition, “the most technologically advanced Kumbh held till date”.
A similar AI monitoring system was used during the 45-day Mahakumbh in Prayagraj in 2025. Calling it a “digital Maha Kumbh”, the Uttar Pradesh Government had deployed AI powered camera and drones. They had also set up four Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC) units that tracked real-time reports.
The Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar spanning over 21 months, is scheduled to begin on 31 October 2026, and will go on till 24 July 2028. The ‘Amrit Snan’ or Holy Bath will begin from 2 August 2027, when the sadhus and devotees will take a holy dip in the Godavari river at Ramkund in Nashik and Kushavarta Kund in Trimbakeshwar.
At the discussion, a purpose-built artificial intelligence called ‘Kumbh AI Stack’ was proposed, which would primarily be based on surveillance.
“The proposed ‘Kumbh AI Stack’ is being designed to combine live CCTV feeds, sensor inputs and telecom indicators to detect abnormal crowd density and movement patterns,” Kumbh Mela Commissioner Shekhar Singh told ThePrint. “When early warning signs emerge, alerts can be sent to field teams and control rooms for crowd diversion, access regulation and timely intervention.”
Crowd-density thresholds, Singh said, would be set in consultation with security agencies and domain experts. “The system is intended to generate alerts before safety thresholds are crossed, allowing preventive rather than reactive action,” he said.
A large number of existing and new CCTV cameras are expected to be integrated into a unified command-and-control network. “The focus is on public safety, congestion detection and anomaly identification. Any use of sensitive technologies will remain within the framework of prevailing laws and government guidelines,” Singh said.
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Apps for assistance
Since the Kumbh will straddle Nashik city and Trimbakeshwar, authorities are planning an integrated monitoring system aimed at providing integrated real-time data across both locations. “It will provide a real-time consolidated operating picture across both locations, helping coordinated decisions on crowd movement, traffic regulation and emergency response, particularly on peak bathing days,” Singh told ThePrint.
The administration is also developing a three-tier digital operating model of ‘Information, Instructions and Insights’. “Pilgrims will receive ‘information’ through apps, IVR (Interactive Voice Response) and messaging platforms. Field staff and police will receive ‘instructions’ through operational dashboards, while senior officials will get analytics-driven ‘insights’ for proactive decision-making,” Singh said.
A multilingual AI assistant named “KumbhDoot” is also under consideration. According to Singh, the service would help answer common queries related to routes, facilities and safety advisories through messaging platforms and a dedicated mobile app, with backup systems to function during network congestion.
Beyond crowd movement, the IT platforms are expected to monitor sanitation and health stress points. “This includes overcrowding near facilities, waste accumulation zones, dehydration risks and potential disease outbreaks, enabling quicker departmental response,” Singh said.
To test preparedness, the authority has proposed a “Kumbh AI Sandbox” , to simulate crowd surges, traffic congestion, medical emergencies and extreme weather events before deployment during the festival.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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