Prayagraj hotels expect booking surge post-Basant Panchami 'snan'

Prayagraj (The Uttam Hindu): Hotels in Prayagraj experienced a significant drop in bookings following the stampede at the Maha Kumbh but owners are optimistic about a booking surge after the Basant Panchami 'snan'. Hoteliers are actively promoting the message, sometimes personally reaching out to potential guests, assuring them that the situation has now returned to "normal" and encouraging them to visit after the final Amrit Snan on Basant Panchami Monday when the crowds are expected to thin out.

Sardar Harjeet Singh, president of the Prayagraj Hotel and Restaurant Welfare Association, said, “Bookings dropped drastically after the January 29 incident as many visitors could not reach their hotels. However, things are back to normal now and we are urging devotees to come after the Basant Panchami 'snan' to avoid any inconvenience.”

At least 30 people were killed and 60 injured during a pre-dawn stampede on January 29, the most significant day of the Kumbh Mela, Mauni Amavasya. Singh further explained that pilgrims were stopped at the city’s borders from January 28 to January 30 and couldn't make it to their hotels. Following the spread of news about the stampede, many cancellations were made. "As a result, 40-50 percent of hotel rooms remained vacant,” Singh added.