Wed Jan 29 13:40:00 IST 2025: **Prayagraj Kumbh Mela: Over 200 Million Pilgrims Take Holy Dip, AI Technology Aids Crowd Counting**

PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA – The ongoing Prayagraj Kumbh Mela has witnessed a massive turnout of devotees, with over 200 million pilgrims having taken a holy dip in the Sangam confluence by January 28th. The Uttar Pradesh government’s information department anticipates another 10 million pilgrims on Wednesday, Mauni Amavasya, the most auspicious day of the event. As of Wednesday afternoon, 57.1 million pilgrims had already taken the dip for the day alone.

The sheer volume of pilgrims raises the question of how such immense crowds are counted. This year, authorities are leveraging a sophisticated system combining artificial intelligence (AI), CCTV cameras, and drone surveillance to estimate attendance. While the count isn’t perfectly precise, officials claim the margin of error is minimal. The AI system ensures each individual is counted only once, regardless of how long they remain in the Mela grounds.

Approximately 1800 cameras, including AI-enabled CCTV and drones, are deployed throughout the Kumbh Mela complex and surrounding areas, providing continuous monitoring and assisting in crowd management. Data from these cameras, along with traffic counts from trains, buses, and other vehicles arriving in Prayagraj, and even satellite data, feeds into a central crowd assessment team which verifies the final count. The team works to eliminate duplicate counts, ensuring an individual is only tallied once.

This multi-pronged approach allows authorities to generate a comprehensive, albeit estimated, figure for the daily attendance at this significant religious gathering. While manual counting is impossible at this scale, the technology deployed provides a reliable estimate of the millions participating in the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela.

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