Mahakumba Mela 2025 is more than just one festival; It is a grand festival of India’s spiritual heritage and is a major attraction for travelers around the world. It is once a -144 -year -old event attracting millions of pilgrims, seekers and tourists, which offers a unique mix of devotion, tradition and cultural vibrancy.

Now, we are not saying that this world’s largest gathering of humans did not come up with its set of challenges, and this is a different story. But for now, note how Mahakumba has changed spiritual tourism.

Today India To understand four travel and hospitality experts, how Mahakumba has influenced India’s spiritual tourism scene. What did we get here:

VITS KAMATS Group President and Managing Director Dr. Vikram Kamat has described Mahakumba as a sports-chain in spiritual tourism.

“Earlier, spiritual tourism was mainly seen for the elderly. But 2025 Mahakumba has attracted young generations, now making a lifetime bond with the spiritual traditions of India,” he says.

Better infrastructure, promoted connectivity, and comprehensive digital access have made the event more inclusive, ensuring that the Mahakumba reaches the larger and more diverse audiences than before.

India’s founder and MD Harish Khatri said how the incident has gone beyond a pilgrimage to become a structured and technically capable experience.

“From real -time assistance and emergency services to directed tourism and language support, Mahakumb now provides a level of facility that was unheard of the past. International visitors, especially, seems to be very easy to participate, so that it really is really Global phenomenon becomes.

Ritvik Khare, the founder and CEO of Elivas agrees and says that the Mahakumba represents an ideal balance between tradition and innovation.

“Live-stream ceremonies, mobile booking platforms and curated hospitality experiences, Mahakumb is no longer about being physically, it is about making spirituality more accessible to everyone, whether wherever they are, “They say.

Jatinder Paul Singh, co-founder and CEO of the vication, says, “From better roads and bridges to environmentally friendly accommodation and careful, this version of Mahakumba has set a new standard for spiritual tourism. There are deep, streamlined experiences that merge with modern.

Impact of Mahakumba in India and abroad

The effect of Mahakumba is not only spiritual – it is economic, social and global. The event is expected to generate Rs 2 lakh crore in revenue directly, which contributes more than 1 percent to the GDP in Uttar Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh government invested Rs 7,500 crore in the infrastructure, the event has created thousands of jobs and has converted Shivaragraj into a world -class pilgrimage destination.

Dr. Kamat believes that the sheer scale of participation has set an example for other religious events around the world, and according to him, “The way Mahakumba has mixed faith with a large -scale tourism infrastructure, It is something that is now eager to study and repeat in many countries. “

Experts agree that India’s spiritual heritage is talking an international talk. He believes that Mahakumba has firmly placed India on the global map of spiritual tourism, attracting curious travelers from all over the world. For the same spiritual purpose, the experience of collecting millions of people at one place is something that leaves a permanent effect.

This is not just a great

Spiritual tourism is emerging as a way of living a slow life.

Harish Khatri agrees, given that international interest in India’s spiritual traditions has increased.

“Mahakumba acts as a gateway to India’s rich spiritual ecosystem, introduces travelers in places like Varanasi, Rishikesh and Bodh Gaya. With better digital platforms and guided tourism, experience now easy to navigate for foreigners Is, “They say.

In 2022-23, the discovery of religious places in Tier II and III cities increased by 97 percent. In particular, Ayodhya’s discovery increased by 585 percent, 359 percent in Ujjain and Badrinath from 2022 to 2023 increased to 343 percent.

Ritvik Khare says that spiritual tourism is not only about visiting religious places – it is about change.

“Hospitality region plays an important role in ensuring that visitors have an immersive, distraction -free experience. The moment a person is a spiritual journey, change in their mindset, and everything – from housing to food – that journey Should complement, “he says.

Jatinder Paul Singh said that the epidemic has intensified the demand for spiritual experiences.

He said, “Destinations like Varanasi, Rishikesh and Dharmashala have not only sought a journey in travelers, but have sought a transformative journey. More people now want experiences that mix culture, mindfulness and adventure.”

Data also supports this. Apart from the Mahakumbo, data from the Ministry of Tourism shows that the number of people engaged in religious or spiritual tourism in India ranged from 677 million to 1,439 million in 2021 in 2021.

With this increase, the revenue generated by the sector reached a level of 16.2 billion (Rs 1.34 lakh crore) in 2022, above the USD 7.9 billion (Rs 65.1 thousand crore).

The ministry also estimated that by 2030, more than one hundred million people alone would be employed through temporary and permanent jobs operated by India’s spiritual tourism, which is estimated to be around USD 59 billion by 2028.

Indians travel abroad for spiritual tourism?

While India remains a spiritual center, Indians also want spiritual experience abroad. Even if there is no accurate data, experts agree with the trend.

For age, Indian Muslims traveling abroad for spiritual tourism have often visited Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia, which are important pilgrimage sites for Muslims.

Among Hindus, Sri Lanka is getting a lot of attention, especially the young military. Apart from the scenes, one of the reasons is due to the ‘Ramayana Trail’, which takes you to 20 important places in Sri Lanka, each is deeply woven into the Ramayana story.

The visa-free policy of the Sri Lankan government for Indians also further promoted the yatra. Additionally, Srikan Airlines has also introduced its ‘Ananya Ramayana Trail Package’ specially designed for Indian travelers.

This experience immerses the passenger at the places where the adventures of Lord Rama, Sita, and Hanuman were revealed, set against the Sri Lanka’s juicy background.

From October to March 2024, it was estimated that 60–70 percent tourist Ramayana trails in Sri Lanka were visitors.

In addition, countries like Thailand, Nepal and Japan are popular for their Buddhist and Zen heritage, with places such as the equivalent of Bodh Gaia in Lumbini attract Indian visitors. Mount Kailash remains an important pilgrimage site in Tibet, which attracts devotees despite its challenging area.

In recent years, Indians who visited Bali for their unique mixture of Hindu traditions, sightseeing temples and meditation retreat have also increased.

Jerusalem of Israel, the house of holy sites of religions, also attracts Indian travelers interested in spiritual exploration.

This growing trend reflects the desire of Indians to connect with spiritual traditions beyond its motherland, which enriches their global spiritual attitude.