Security and Surveillance at Large Religious Gatherings: Crowd Management Strategies for the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela

Ritika Verma; Harkirat Bains

doi:10.63960/SIJMDS-2025-2366

Authors

Ritika Verma School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management, IGNOU, Delhi, India Author

Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.
Harkirat Bains School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management, IGNOU, Delhi, India Author

Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

https://doi.org/10.63960/SIJMDS-2025-2366

Keywords:

Security, Surveillance, Crowd management, Kumbh mela, Mass gathering

Abstract

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 was the most significant religious gathering of devotion and faith in the world. Over 660 million devotees bathed in sacred rivers in pursuit of spiritual liberation. Security measures and crowd management are major challenges for large-scale religious events. This paper contributes to existing literature on crowd management by examining crowd disasters, their major causes, security measures, crowd behavior, and traffic management. It assesses the coordination among various stakeholders, capacity planning, and overall organization. The paper provides a framework for risk assessment, preparedness, safety, and resource management. Its goal is to reduce the risk of incidents and ensure the safety and security of devotees during spiritual mass gatherings. Additionally, this study can aid in event management and policy development for future large-scale events, focusing on effective security strategies and strategic crowd management planning.

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Author Biographies

Ritika Verma, School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management, IGNOU, Delhi, India

Ritika Verma is an author and hospitality research scholar affiliated with the School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management (SOTHSM) at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi, India. Her research interests focus on event tourism, destination management, and safety protocols within mega-scale event structures. She frequently collaborates on empirical studies evaluating the intersection of public administration, safety framework designs, and sustainable tourism practices at large-scale religious and cultural gatherings across India.
Harkirat Bains, School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management, IGNOU, Delhi, India

Prof. (Dr.) Harkirat Bains is a Professor in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management (SOTHSM) at IGNOU. She holds both a PhD and a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree in Foods and Nutrition from Barkatullah University. With an expansive career spanning academic leadership, curriculum development, and institutional partnerships, her research bridges public health, hospitality management, and safety operations. She has previously led large-scale healthcare initiatives alongside UNICEF and extensively publishes on crowd risk management frameworks for international events.

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Security and Surveillance at Large Religious Gatherings: Crowd Management Strategies for the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela

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