Opinion | Mahakumbh 2025: A Miraculous Confluence Of Dharma, Artha, And Moksha
At Mahakumbh, dharma inspired both spiritual awakening (moksha) and a Rs 3 lakh crore economic surge (artha), transforming infrastructure. A miraculous display of ‘Dharmanomics’
Guided by faith, the indefinable quest for inner spiritual serenity, and a chance to connect with a higher power—the divine and the supreme—millions of people came together in Prayagraj from 13 January 2025 to 26 February 2025. In an age where customs and traditions, faith and beliefs—everything is marketed—this congregation was as organic as the sublimity of the contentment that emanates from that holy dip in the Ganga.
People from different regions—from New Delhi to New York, from Surat to Switzerland—all came together, bound by a common thread: faith and a quest for something beyond the mundane.
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Reading a news report about a group of over 200 foreign devotees participating in the Mahakumbh on 1 February, what struck a chord with me was how most of them referred to the sacred river Ganga as “Maa Ganga."
This was not a ‘spectacle,’ as many preferred to call it, but a ‘miracle’ that many felt. Millions of people were touched by this miracle and internalised it, carrying it with them for the rest of their lives. It was a miracle of pure faith, untouched by the blemishes of modern life.
We live in a time when technology connects millions across opposite corners of the world, yet social and economic divisions—such as caste, creed, religion, race, and financial status—create a disconnect between immediate neighbours. In such times, crores of people setting aside these divisions, coming together, and bathing in the same water is nothing short of a miracle.
Another remarkable aspect of the Mahakumbh is how it defied the perceived dichotomy between artha and aadhyatma—economic and commercial pursuits versus the quest for spirituality. It is often argued that materialistic ambitions are incompatible with a spiritual life. However, the Mahakumbh was an occasion where artha and aadhyatma worked in tandem.
On one hand, more than 66 crore devotees took the holy dip; on the other, the Mahakumbh proved to be a powerful economic driver. According to government estimates, it is expected to boost the state’s economy by over Rs 3 lakh crore. “The potential of Uttar Pradesh, which the world is witnessing today, can be linked to the Mahakumbh Mela. The Mahakumbh alone is going to help the economy of UP grow by over Rs 3 lakh crore," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said while responding to a query from the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the Vidhan Sabha.
Apart from this, the organisation of the Mahakumbh led to massive infrastructure development in the region. For example, the renovation of 92 roads and the beautification of 17 major roads were carried out in areas adjoining Prayagraj. According to an article written by Amrit Abhijat, Principal Secretary, Urban Development in the Uttar Pradesh government, “The urban development department has undertaken a massive development drive worth Rs 7,260.45 crore, creating a modern infrastructure framework while preserving the spiritual essence of this ancient gathering."
“The transformation spans across critical infrastructure sectors. Construction and improvement projects related to roads and bridges worth Rs 3,096.43 crore, including major arterial roads and connectivity enhancements, have been undertaken, while 14 crucial projects for the construction of bridges, including the strategic Subedarganj Bridge, enhancing the city’s connectivity network, have been taken up," Abhijat wrote.
Anyone visiting Prayagraj and the Mela would have easily been able to verify such claims. Take, for example, the claims of income generation for small businesses. The author interacted with two individuals—a middle-aged woman selling simple meal plates consisting of roti-sabzi, and a 15-year-old boy selling plastic containers for carrying holy water. While the former shyly admitted to having earned around Rs 2 lakh in one month by selling meals, the boy sold containers worth Rs 3,000 every day.
This is not just economics but what is aptly called ‘Dharmanomics’. In his recently published book Dharmanomics: An Indigenous and Sustainable Economic Model, US-based economist Sriram Balasubramanian illustrates how economic models based on dharma existed in India as far back as 5,000 years.
A binary has been created in the intellectual tradition when analysing the four Purusharthas. Dharma and Moksha are grouped together and given maximum importance by spiritual leaders. On the other hand, Artha, projected as a ‘worldly’ pursuit, has been seen as antithetical to the quest for Dharma and Moksha. However, history shows that all these pursuits coexisted in seamless harmony in India. Ethical wealth creation was never discouraged—the only criterion was that it should be based on Dharma. And that is precisely what the Mahakumbh demonstrated.
The Mahakumbh did not just benefit Prayagraj. A large number of people travelled along the Ayodhya-Varanasi-Prayagraj circuit, resulting in the sale of rudraksha beads worth Rs 100 crore. Chandan tikas worth Rs 30 crore were applied, and prasad worth Rs 72 crore was retailed. This was not just an unprecedented expansion of small business opportunities—it was an expansion of faith and a civilisational ethos that has never known boundaries.
Celebrated American traveller and novelist Mark Twain, during his visit to the Kumbh of 1894, wrote an account published as Following the Equator. He observed: “It is wonderful, the power of a faith like that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint on such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining." One might wonder why they endure such hardships.
The answer lies in the fact that, alongside Dharma and Artha, Moksha remains one of the most sought-after yet most difficult pursuits.
But if a holy dip in Maa Ganga makes one feel as though they are moving in that direction, then one realises—this is not a spectacle; it is a miracle. Because only a miracle can impart the feeling of divinity and a sense of attaining Moksha, all while remaining very much part of this world.
And that is the beauty of the Mahakumbh—for the world to behold.
The author is a BJP leader & Chairman of the Young Leaders Forum, FICCI (UP Chapter). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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