Haridwar News: city gears up for the Kumbh Mela

By Dr. Manish Mokshagundam

“Already all the rooms in the hotel are fully booked during the three months of Kumbh Mela,” says general manager of a hotel in Haridwar that is adding to its capacity, like many others in the town

The hotel is the renovated version of a 97-year-old summerhouse of the royal family of Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. Developed six years back, the 20-room property is an example of how the Gateway to Gods (that’s what 'Haridwar' means) is getting transformed

“We are going very big on Kumbh. Another four room Ganga-facing property, a 30,000 square feet property and 18 rooms belonging to the erstwhile Tehri royal family are being acquired. We will also set up 100 camps on a river island for our guests,”

Other hotel chains like Ginger and Country Inn have also converged on Haridwar in the past few years. Haridwar would witness an inflow of 60 million to 70 million devotees and tourists during Kumbh mela

Kalpavsi.com has been successfully bringing in foreign tourists to the Kumbh Mela and have contributed hugely to the overall dissemination of information about the Kumbh Mela and the special Kalpavasa Vrata world wide

Besides, constructions by official and civic bodies, ashrams, are getting renovated and dharamshalas, hotels, apartment blocks and malls are springing up all over the town

The construction boom in the town is changing this nearly 3,700-year-old town forever

While the local administration is yet to complete works like widening of roads, toilets, sewer lines and water supplies, the private sector has sprinted ahead. The 34 prominent ashrams, dozens of dharamshalas and 50 important hotels are all ready to cater to every category of foreign and domestic tourist

Range of facilities on offer is wide – from simple lodgings to five-star comforts, choice of continental or oriental cuisine. Some even allow guests to do their own cooking.

Swami Ramdev’s Patanjali Yog Peeth, which has 115 rooms, dormitories, triple-bed room with AC, etc. And like any good ‘hotel’, guests are provided with shampoos, soaps and towels

“We have a Kumbh-like atmosphere in our Yog Peeth all through the year and we are all geared up for next year’s Kumbh as well,” said Acharya Balkrishna, Swami Ramdev’s close associate. In April this year, another 1,000 rooms were added to the second phase of the project completed in just nine months

“Nearly 100,000 people are expected to come to our ashram during the Kumbh from India and abroad. All the 600 rooms we have would be filled to capacity during January to April and many would be staying in open areas as well,” said Ramji Bhai (78), caretaker of Prem Nagar Ashram

The ashram, which is owned by spiritual guru-cum-politician Satpal Maharaj, is building a large prayer area where nearly 20,000 people can be accommodated. The premise also has 460 toilets under one roof

Once you step out of the ashrams, dharamshalas and hotels, you can saunter in to Pentagon, Uttarakhand’s first multipurpose mall spread across 7,50,000 square feet, which will open during the Kumbh mela. Like its peers in other parts of the country, this mall will also have gaming zones, food courts and multiplexes and, of course, shops

For those who want to own a piece of Haridwar, real estate firms are offering plots, villas, and luxury and premium apartments to suit all budgets. One such is the Jurs Country project -- the largest modern township coming up in the town -- by Vardhman Developers

But not all seem happy with the makeover of the town. “Nowadays, ashrams have become means of business, while earlier only basic fare and simple facilities were provided,” commented Dr R. K. Pandey of Shantikunj, one of the largest ashrams in Haridwar