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Inspired by the enterprise of boat operators during the 2019 Ardh Kumbh, a boatman's family in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj took a bold entrepreneurial step during the recently concluded Mahakumbh Mela 2025 and scripted a "success story" in terms of facilitating journey of pilgrims and earning in the process.
Pintu Mahara, head of a boatman family, got around 70 boats made to cater to devotees and pilgrims during the 45-day grand religious gathering. Pintu Mahara told ANI about his struggle as also his success and said he wishes to be at the next Mahakumbh, carrying on his work. He recalled taking loans, mortgaging personal household jewellery to fund his project. Despite the financial risks, he was confident that the Mahakumbh would attract millions of devotees and he will be successful. "The Mahakumbh was a grand event, we got the boats made and earned money. The Mahakumbh was a grand spectacle, we never saw anything like this before and I wish to see this kind of event again... We gained a lot from this Mahakumbh, we earned money and also the blessings of the people," he said. "Life was tough. We had to borrow money and mortgage gold to get the boats. My father used to earn, then he passed away. It took a lot of efforts to build this, it took six months to get the boats ready. I took loan from several people, even put my family's gold to mortgage. This is because we didn't have money then," he added. Pintu Mahara said months of "hard work paid off as our boats became an integral part of the Mahakumbh experience, ferrying thousands of devotees". "In 2019, the boatmen earned a lot of money during the Ardh Kumbh. They earned in lakhs. A lot of people came that time. Seeing this I anticipated that around 70 crore devotees would turn up in the Mahakumbh," he said. "After Mauni Amavasya, I felt the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi. Under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Yogi, the Mahakumbh became a grand success, making Prayagraj famous worldwide," he added. Despite the physical strain, with many of his team members falling ill due to the demanding workload, Pintu and his crew remained committed. "We had 250 people sailing the boats, and my brothers were with me every step of the way. It was hard work, but the experience was priceless. We helped everyone take the holy bath, from the rich, the poor, the specially abled. Our entire family earned money, the entire boatmen community earned money," he said. He also rejected opposition's allegations that boatmen were exploited. "We earned a lot of money, the opposition can say anything," he said. Pintu Mahara's mother also expressed gratitude for the family and boating community's success. "We put in a lot of effort, and Ganga Maiyya listened to us." Pintu Mahara also recalled efforts of government to support local businesses including during the Mahakumbh. "I wish CM (Yogi Adityanath comes and gives me his blessings," he said. Over 300 people worked under Pintu Mahara's leadership, helping devotees with boat rides, bathing arrangements, and other services. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday, shared the "success story" of a boatman's family, highlighting their earnings during the 45-day-long Mahakumbh from January 13 to February 26. "A boatman's family, who owned several boats, earned a total of Rs 30 crore in just 45 days during the Mahakumbh. This means each boat earned Rs 23 lakh over the 45 days, translating to about Rs 50,000-52,000 per day," CM Yogi said in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. He refuted allegations by the Samajwadi Party that boatmen were exploited during the event. Held on the banks of Sangam in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, Mahakumbh 2025 emerged as a historic and well-organized event, witnessing an unprecedented gathering of over 66 crore devotees. The event, which began on January 13 (Paush Purnima), concluded on February 26 (Maha Shivratri), drawing pilgrims from across India and the world. (ANI)
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