Maha Kumbh 2025: UP government to conduct world's largest AI-powered headcount

Prayagraj ( Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 10 : The Maha Kumbh 2025 in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj is going to be a historic congregation as the Uttar Pradesh government gears up to conduct the world's largest AI-powered headcount.
With an estimated 40 to 45 crore devotees expected to attend the gala event and take a holy dip in the 'Triveni Sangam'--a major site for Hindu pilgrimages and a sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers--the UP government is leveraging state-of-the-art technology to ensure every person is counted.
According to officials, this initiative marks a new era in event management, combining artificial intelligence (AI) with advanced monitoring techniques for accuracy and to handle massive crowd sizes.
Officials said that in previous Kumbh events, there was no precise method to calculate the number of attendees, leading to rough estimates. However, Maha Kumbh 2025 is set to change that narrative. Using AI-powered cameras and other innovative tools, authorities aim to achieve an exact count of attendees and monitor their movements across the fairgrounds.
According to Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, over 744 temporary CCTV cameras have been installed at 200 key points in the fair area, while around 1,107 permanent cameras have been installed at 268 locations across the city. Additionally, 720 cameras have been installed at more than 100 vehicle parking zones, ensuring proper monitoring of the influx of pilgrims.
Divisional Commissioner Pant said that at the heart of this initiative lies AI technology, enabling real-time crowd density tracking with an accuracy rate of around 95 per cent. "There is an Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC) in Prayagraj, and viewing centers in Aral and Jhunsi for monitoring devotees. These will serve as operational hubs, relaying live data and generating instant alerts for crowd management," he said.
"The AI-powered systems will be active and in place during the bathing hours from 3 AM to 7 PM. Data will be updated every minute, focusing on the ghats to capture the flow of devotees with precision. These methods, previously tested during the Magh Mela, delivered 95 per cent accuracy," he said.
Divisional Commissioner Pant said that the key to the process is the "turnaround cycle," which calculates the average time a pilgrim spends at the ghats. "This approach prevents duplicate counts of people re-entering the area. AI algorithms will work in tandem with advanced sampling methods like Cochran's formula to estimate crowd sizes during non-peak and peak days, ranging from 20 lakh to 10 crore people," he pointed out.
He further said that this "turnaround cycle" would be the average figure of three methods being adopted to track the movement of devotees and refine the headcount further.
This includes--'Attribute-Based Search,' wherein advanced cameras will be used to identify people based on physical attributes for precise tracking. The second method would be based on 'RFID Wristbands,' where each visitor will be given a wristband embedded with RFID technology, allowing authorities to monitor their movement, entry, and exit within the fairgrounds. The third method would be 'Mobile App Tracking,' where, with user consent, a GPS-enabled mobile app will provide real-time location updates for further monitoring.
"Work on headcount testing using these methods is ongoing," Pant added.
The Maha Kumbh held once every 12 years is scheduled to begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26, 2025, in Prayagraj.
The main bathing festival, known as the "Shahi Snan" (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).