Authorities worked in close coordination with police forces from these districts to regulate the movement of devotees, particularly around the heavily congested tent city and parking areas within 5 kilometers of the mela zone.

With the Nashik Kumbh Mela in 2027 expected to draw lakhs of devotees, multiple challenges lie ahead for the administration.

Officials had been preparing for months for the world’s largest religious festival, with around 400 million Hindu pilgrims expected to take part