Ujjain is preparing the grounds for Simhastha 2028, one of the largest spiritual gatherings in the world, through a series of high-tech enhancements and large-scale infrastructure initiatives. The city, rich in centuries of spiritual history, is now on the cusp of becoming a model of crowd management and technology integration in the modern era.
Millions of pilgrims are likely to arrive at Ujjain when the month-long Simhastha Mahakumbh will be organised in 2028. To make arrangements for the unprecedented number of devotees and their safety and convenience, the Madhya Pradesh government has embarked on a grand revamp of the city’s transport and civic infrastructure. Among the most significant projects is the techno-upgrade of four major railway stations New Khedi, Pingleshwar, Chintaman, and Vikram Nagar, with high-tech facilities for effective crowd control and improved security.
High-tech revamp of four railway stations
During a strategic meeting on June 19 involving top officials from Mumbai and Ujjain, it was decided to modernise the four railway stations with the latest technology. The upgrades will involve facial recognition software, high-definition CCTV cameras, drone-powered aerial surveillance, artificial intelligence-based monitoring systems, and centralised control rooms. The idea is to facilitate real-time detection of suspicious behaviour and control the whopping footfall anticipated during the Simhastha.
IG Umesh Joga of Ujjain, IG RPF Mumbai Ajay Sadani, DIG Navneet Bhasin, SP Pradeep Sharma, and other railway and senior police officers were present in the meeting. It was agreed that the modernisation of all these stations will be done in two years’ time.
Taking cues from the Prayagraj Kumbh, which had undertaken a series of effective crowd and infrastructure management measures, Ujjain’s authorities are adapting their plans to local conditions but with a similar vision of scale and efficiency. RPF staff and local police will also undergo specialised training in handling surveillance equipment and crowd management.
Strategic meeting for security and coordination
A high-level meeting was organised at the IG office on June 14 under the chairmanship of Additional Director General of Police Umesh Joga. It was joined by representatives from RPF Mumbai, RPF Ratlam, and police officers of Ujjain and nearby districts. The agenda of the meeting included crowd management, emergency response systems, traffic management, and providing top-class facilities to visiting pilgrims.
The plan involves the deployment of more police forces, home guards, rapid response teams, special women police teams, and plainclothes surveillance units. All ghats, temple routes, and dharamshalas will be under surveillance at all times through an integrated command centre.
The Simhastha region will be completely covered with a CCTV network. Drones will be utilised for aerial surveillance, whereas data analytics software, auto-number plate recognition systems (ALPR), and AI-based facial recognition will aid in maintaining real-time monitoring and quick response to any threat or disruption.
Massive infrastructure approvals for Simhastha
Chief Secretary Anurag Jain gave approval to close to 40 infrastructure projects pertaining to Simhastha 2028 preparations on May 18. The projects involve work in Ujjain and the adjacent districts of Dewas, Mandsaur, Shajapur, and Khandwa. The approvals were made during a State Supervision Committee meeting where collectors and department heads of all concerned areas were present.
Chief Secretary Jain stressed the importance of open implementation and prompt completion of all the projects. He ordered that all the roadworks strictly follow Indian Roads Congress standards. Special care is being taken on structural design, accessibility, and long-term sustainability of development work.
The Ujjain district alone was approved for 25 big projects at the meeting, such as the development of Simhastha Mela zones, ghat work, and road facilities. These are a part of a larger plan consisting of 48 projects in various districts with an estimated total investment of more than Rs 2,865 crore.
Key projects in Ujjain
Among the sanctioned schemes in Ujjain are several significant road expansions and improvements to enhance connectivity between ghats, temples, parking spaces, and residential areas:
1) A 2.8 km four-lane road from Kartik Mela Ground to Simhastha Bypass through New Khedi
2) A 1.5 km four-lane road from Karkaraj parking to MR-22 through Bhukhimata
3) Six-lane construction of the Bhairavgarh Jail Square to the Piplinaka road
4) Four-lane widening from Juna Somwaria to Ankpata Chauraha through Piplinaka
5) A 2.2 km wide four-lane road from Piplinaka to Gadkalika Temple and Okhleshwar Crematorium
6) A 14 km six-lane stretch on the western side of the Shipra River leading to MR-22
7) Redevelopment of the 1.2 km Maharajwada to Harasiddhi Temple road up to the river
Apart from these, a number of important roads like the 400-meter road between Mahakal Parking and Choubis Khamba and the 0.5 km road between Gadkalika Temple and Pir Matsyendranath Samadhi, are being broadened and upgraded. These developments will make traffic flow smoother and give access to important places during the Simhastha.
Ghat and civic upgradation
Fifteen ghats on the Shipra River are being improved with better bathing platforms, streetlights, and sanitation arrangements. At Chhatri Chowk, the Regal Talkies area will be remodelled as a public plaza with parking, shops, and rest areas. Urban beautification comprises nine welcome gates at city entrances and facilities for 654 resettled families in Panwasa, where roads, drainage, gardens, streetlights, water supply, and sewage are being laid out at a cost of more than Rs 10 crore.
A Rs 5.5 crore legacy waste treatment scheme has also been approved to treat solid waste and environmental issues during the Mela.
Railway connectivity boost
For facilitating smooth rail transport, pedestrian foot overbridges will be constructed at Ujjain Railway Station in both directions towards Nagda and Bhopal. Furthermore, connecting roads are under development:
1) A 1.3 km two-lane road to New Khedi Station
2) A 2.5 km two-lane road to Panwasa Flag Station
3) A new two-lane road to Chintaman Ganesh Station
4) A 5.42 km four-lane Panchkroshi Marg road from Shakkarwasa to Garoth through Lalpur
These projects seek to relieve traffic congestion from the central station area and channel passenger traffic smoothly throughout the city.
Coordinated administrative mechanism
To implement this huge development agenda, the government has created a chain of committees and task forces:
1) Simhastha Task Force constituted on February 13, 2024
2) A Chief Minister’s Cabinet Committee was constituted on June 6, 2024
3) A State Supervision Committee headed by the Chief Secretary was formed on October 30, 2024
4) A divisional-level committee headed by the Commissioner of Ujjain was formed on November 27, 2024
These committees are monitoring department-wise action plans and watching execution at each level. The Cabinet Committee has suggested 74 works for the Water Resources Department, 37 for the Home Department, and other projects for departments like Tourism, Energy, Culture, and Urban Development. The total estimated cost of these works is Rs 7,380.02 crore.
The Supervision Committee has also separately suggested 77 projects worth Rs 3,176.91 crore in sectors ranging from health, housing, and roads to education, sanitation.
IIM Indore to conduct 5E crowd management study for Simhastha-2028
As part of Simhastha-2028 preparation, IIM Indore has been tasked with conducting a critical study on crowd management through its 5E framework: Education, Enforcement, Engineering, Environment and Emergency. The study encompasses major areas such as stampede prevention, emergency response, traffic flow and pilgrim movement pattern during the event.
At a recent wellness summit in Ujjain, IIM Indore Director Himanshu Rai reconfirmed that the institute had earlier prepared a report on the Prayagraj Mahakumbh and had sent it to the Uttar Pradesh government. For Simhastha, the institute will engage from the planning stage. From previous experience, it has set sights on practical implementation in Ujjain.
Their study will examine the pilgrims’ duration of arrival, bathing, and return and will monitor traffic control measures three kilometres prior to the Mahakaleshwar temple. The ultimate aim is to formulate a total management plan for an estimated 30 crore pilgrims, jointly with the Ministry of Tourism, on operational logistics, traffic management, Shihpra river ghat upkeep and pilgrim access.
Building for the future
Simhastha 2028 is not only a religious gathering but also a chance to reposition Ujjain’s civic capacity and urban character. By integrating the ancient with the futuristic, the city is getting set to receive the world in a way that is spiritually enriching as well as logistically feasible.
The juxtaposition of infrastructural redevelopment and technological upgradation creates a new standard for religious congregations across the world. With regular monitoring, huge public expenditure, and multi-agency planning, Ujjain is set to organise a Simhastha as secure and effective as it is sanctified.
This gargantuan project, founded in spiritual heritage and implemented with contemporary technology, marks not just preparedness but ambition to turn Ujjain into a model pilgrimage city of the 21st century.
Comments