Maha Kumbh: AI-enabled cameras to be deployed for accurate headcount

Mahakumbh Nagar: Artificial intelligence-enabled cameras will be installed at the Maha Kumbh 2025 to ensure an accurate headcount of devotees visiting one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

More than 40 crore people are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh, making it a record-breaking event. With AI-driven crowd density algorithms, the Uttar Pradesh government expects to achieve an impressive headcount accuracy of up to 95 per cent.

Organised every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh will be held from January 13 to February 26. Devotees from across the country gather at Prayagraj's sacred Triveni Sangam of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.

The state government has created a new district, Mahakumbh Nagar, comprising 66 villages of four tehsils -- Sadar, Soraon, Phulpur and Karchhana -- for the Kumbh Mela.

The Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement on Tuesday that with the integration of modern systems, every devotee will be accounted for, creating a new milestone in crowd management and setting a global benchmark for such monumental events.

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the fair administration is striving to make this the "largest headcount in the world", leveraging AI along with other innovative methods to achieve this groundbreaking feat, it said.

It noted that the gathering of devotees in Prayagraj during the Kumbh and Maha Kumbh has always been massive but the absence of precise technology for counting them posed challenges in the past.

The government said that to ensure precise headcount data, AI-enabled cameras are being deployed extensively.

"These advanced cameras will provide real-time updates every minute, with a primary focus on tracking devotees at the ghats," the statement said.

"The system will operate actively from 3 am to 7 pm, the peak hours for bathing rituals," it said.

"Previously, similar methods were successfully implemented during the Magh Mela, demonstrating their reliability. With these advanced measures, the headcount at the Maha Kumbh 2025 is expected to achieve an impressive accuracy of up to 95 per cent," it added.

Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant said more than 40 crore people are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh 2025, making it a record-breaking event. To manage this unprecedented crowd, special measures have been put in place.

"Around 744 temporary CCTV cameras will be installed at 200 locations within the fair area while 1,107 permanent CCTV cameras have been set up at 268 locations across the city. Additionally, 720 CCTV cameras are being deployed across more than 100 parking areas to ensure seamless tracking and crowd management," he said.

To ensure effective monitoring of the vast gathering, dedicated viewing centres have been established at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), Police Line Control Room and in Arail and Jhunsi areas, he added.

"By leveraging AI-driven crowd density algorithms, authorities aim to achieve an accurate headcount of the attendees. AI-based crowd management systems will also generate real-time alerts, enabling officials to efficiently count, track and manage devotees throughout the event," Pant said.

Technical experts managing the headcount modelling at the ICCC in the fair area emphasised the importance of tracking the turnaround cycle to avoid double-counting devotees.

The turnaround cycle measures the average time a pilgrim spends in the ghat area, ensuring accurate headcount data. The process involves calculating sample data using the Cochran formula, with an estimate of 20 lakh devotees on non-peak days and up to 10 crore on peak days.