The government will ring in the new year in Varanasi, which will get a makeover before the year is out. It is where the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 will be organised . The idea is to attract foreign tourists to the Kumbh Mela in January 2019.
Union Minister of State for Tourism, K.J. Alphons, informed the Lok Sabha that the government would promote the event globally, and a campaign called “Chalo Kumbh Chalo” will be launched across the country. What's more, the Kumbh Mela will also get branded in the course of it all: 'Kumbh 2019' is the big ad that will greet passengers at all major international airports of the country.
To make it look global, the main town of Varanasi that is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency apart from being an ancient religious centre in the country, will see the development of an area designated for hoisting flags of 192 countries, from where visitors are expected for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
The government has already begun drawing out detailed movement and parking plans for a convenient approach. It has also begun identifying and developing areas where traffic and crowds will be held back during the mela period. Digital signage, placement of dust bins, and building community awareness around Ganga conservation, particularly centering around the Ganga Praharis and Swacchagrahis, have also been rolled out.
The Kumbh Mela, which is typically a religious event wherein the devotees take a dip in the river, will see an extra dose of development, in the form of construction and widening of roads, parking spots, plying of shuttle buses and setting up of toilets and LED light at the venue. In view of the global tourists expected, the government will also set up convention halls and pandals for cultural events, banking services and telecom facilities, Alphons revealed.