Mahakumbh 2025: With more than 400 million people expected to gather in Prayagraj over 45 days for the ongoing Mahakumbh 2025, ensuring public safety remains a significant challenge for law enforcement authorities.
Mahakumbh 2025: Sadhus of Juna Akhada during the initiation ceremony to become Naga ascetics on banks of Ganga near Sangam during Mahakumbh-2025 in Prayagraj on Saturday. (ANIL KUMAR MAURYA/HT)(HT_PRINT)
The grand event at the Mahakumbh Mela, held at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, is recognized as the largest human gathering on Earth. It began on January 13 in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj and will conclude on February 26.
The Mahakumbh occurs once every 12 years, and this year, it is being hosted across an area of 4,000 hectares.
Facial Recognition Powered by AI
Experts highlight that AI-driven facial recognition and surveillance technologies have become transformative tools in enhancing security at major public events like Mahakumbh 2025.
These cutting-edge solutions enable security personnel to oversee extensive areas, detect irregularities, and act swiftly to mitigate risks and prevent incidents. By analyzing live video streams from surveillance cameras, AI can identify suspicious behavior, notify authorities, and even forecast crowd dynamics to prevent any potential mishaps, according to the experts.
“With the integration of AI into the public safety system, events of such a mass footfall like Mahakumbh 2025 can be concluded peacefully. The AI-embedded systems can monitor the crowd in real-time by swiftly identifying and resolving potential threats," Tarun Wig, a prominent security expert and the co-founder & CEO of Innefu Labs, an Information Security R&D startup located in New Delhi, stated.
"Facial recognition technology plays a significant role in this regard by assisting authorities in identifying missing persons or tracking individuals with criminal backgrounds,” he said.
Law enforcement authorities in charge of the rare fair, held once every 12 years, have embraced technology to track individuals and control crowds. “For the first time, we'll use facial recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) to locate lost people,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Prayagraj Rajesh Dwivedi was quoted as saying in a Bloomberg report.
Although technology isn't infallible, the aim is to achieve near-perfect tech, he explained. Face-level cameras have been strategically positioned to help prevent stampedes by providing real-time notifications to officials about crowd build-ups and sudden surges in mass movement, he added.
AI an enabler
Amit Kumar, Superintendent of Police and head of the Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs), told Times of India that AI is enhancing their capabilities alongside traditional ground information. He highlighted that AI is supporting not only the estimation of visitor numbers but also traffic management and crime prevention.
Krutrim, a Bengaluru-based startup founded by Ola's Bhavish Aggarwal, has launched an AI-powered chatbot in 11 Indian languages, according to reports. Google is providing AI-driven maps to help locate emergency assistance facilities, while Walmart-owned PhonePe has rolled out affordable insurance for visitors, offering coverage for accidents or emergencies for under ₹99.
“Therefore, once a relative reports a missing person at any of the designated counters, AI tools will be used to generate digital images of the missing individuals, which will then be used to scan the crowds via thousands of cameras,” Dwivedi said.
2,700 AI-Powered Cameras
The Uttar Pradesh police have stationed approximately 40,000 officers and cybercrime specialists at the fair. For security, underwater drones capable of reaching depths of 100 meters, aerial drones monitoring crowds from 120 meters, and 2,700 AI-powered cameras with facial recognition technology are being utilized.
Additional technologies include RFID wristbands containing information like emergency contacts and medical records, as well as a mobile app that allows visitors to share their live locations.
“Moreover, by cross-referencing real-time images with existing databases, facial recognition systems provide law enforcement agencies with actionable insights, which enable authorities to contain the suspicious individuals and foil their plans,” Wig said.
Experts assert that the scalability of AI systems makes it possible to manage large-scale events like the Mahakumbh 2025 efficiently, without compromising safety. Beyond crowd control, AI-driven systems utilize Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to analyze data from the deep web, dark web, and surface web, equipping security agencies with vital information on emerging threats and criminal activities, they explained.
“For instance, Innefu’s Insight, which works on sophisticated algorithms, is quick to identify illicit activities like extremist propaganda by mapping concealed networks and tracking communication patterns across diverse linguistic landscapes. These capabilities enable authorities to preemptively address risks, protect vulnerable communities, and maintain public order at large gatherings,” the Innefu CEO said.
Previous Usage
AI has also been utilized in past religious gatherings. For instance, in 2021, millions of devotees gathered at the ghats of Haridwar in Uttarakhand to bathe in the Ganges during the Maha Kumbh, despite the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 sweeping across the country.
At that time, the Uttarakhand police had engaged a Noida-based firm specializing in ‘examination security solutions’ to manage the crowds, as images and videos showed pilgrims tightly packed together on the riverbanks, disregarding social distancing guidelines.
Concerns About Facial Recognition
Facial recognition technology is commonly used for three primary purposes: to verify identity, to identify individuals in crowds, and to monitor behavior. While it is widely implemented around the world, it has also raised significant privacy concerns.
In India, non-profit organizations such as the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), which advocates for online freedom, privacy, and innovation, have voiced opposition to the use of facial recognition by police and security agencies, even calling for a ban on its application.
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