The Uttar Pradesh government has designated the Mahakumbh region as a new district for the duration of the Mahakumbh Mela.

The district will be called Mahakumbh Mela District and will cease to exist after March 31, 2025.

In its notification, the government said 66 villages of four tehsils – Sadar, Soraon, Phulpur and Karchana – along with the entire assembly area have been included in the new district. Mela Adhikari Vijay Kiran Anand will assume the responsibilities of district magistrate.

The Adhikari Mela will hold the authority of an Executive Magistrate, a District Magistrate and an Additional District Magistrate. The Maha Kumbh Mela district will also have three additional district magistrates, 28 sub-divisional magistrates, one Tehsildar and 24 Naib Tehsildars.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Kumbh) Rajesh Dwivedi said the district will have 56 police stations, 155 police stations, one cyber police station, one women police station and three water police stations .

“The district created for the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj will cease to exist after the event,” explained Anand, adding that the district was also created during the 2019 Kumbh, and “this process repeats itself every time.”

The Maha Kumbh will begin on January 13, coinciding with Paush Poornima, and end on Maha Shivratri, February 26.

Millions of pilgrims, including sadhus and seers from various Akharas, will gather to participate in this holy event.