Ujjain-Indore division to be developed as religious-spiritual circuit for Simhastha 2028: CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 5 : Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday chaired a meeting at Mantralaya (the secretariat) on the proposed action plan concerning Simhastha 2028, saying the Ujjain-Indore division will be developed as a religious-spiritual circuit for conducting the event and boost tourism.
'Simhastha' is a Hindu religious fair held every 12 years at Ujjain.
"Ujjain-Indore division will be developed as a religious-spiritual circuit, including the development of infrastructure and easy transportation to Pashupatinath temple Mandsaur, Dada Dhuniwale in Khandwa, Bhadwamata, Nalkheda, and Omkareshwar for Simhastha 2028. The ongoing arrangements for Simhastha are aimed at encouraging public participation at the event," CM Yadav said.
The chief minister added that the venue or site of the fair should be developed systematically for Simhastha 2028.
"The ghats of the Kshipra River should be expanded so that the devotees coming in large numbers can take a holy dip. Also, with the increase in the number of private vehicles, the number of people coming to Simhastha by road will be very high. Therefore, adequate parking arrangements should also be ensured," he added.
Considering the devotees who visited the previous edition of the Simhastha, guest houses with basic facilities should be developed on all the routes to Ujjain after assessing the expected number of visitors in the upcoming Simhastha, the CM said, adding that the hotels and dharamshalas (cheaper accommodations) in Ujjain city should also be revamped and boosted.
He said homestays should also be promoted in rural areas adjacent to Ujjain.
According to an official release, Simhastha Mahaparva will be held from March 27 to May 27 in 2028. At the grand festival this year, three 'Shahi Snan' and seven 'Parva Snan' are proposed in the period from April 9 to May 8, 2028.
About 14 crore devotees are estimated to arrive in Simhastha Mahaparv, according to the release.
A preliminary action plan has been made for Simhastha 2028, including those for Indore and Ujjain divisions in which 523 works worth about Rs 18,840 crore, related to 19 departments, are proposed, it added.
Aspects such as comfortable transportation of devotees, development of main roads, construction of new roads, drinking water, purification of water, electricity supply, law and order and traffic management, accommodation during the Simhastha period, development of tourist places, among others, were also discussed in the meeting.
Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, Revenue Minister Karan Singh Verma, Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silavat, Chief Secretary Veera Rana, Director General of Police Sudhir Saxena and other officers were present in the meeting.