Mahakumbh Nagar: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath interacted with media representatives at the Digital Media Centre during his visit to Prayagraj on Thursday. He praised the media's role in transforming the Maha Kumbh into a global event.

He stated, "Maha Kumbh Prayagraj has indeed become a global event. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the success we have achieved in this endeavor, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Modi ji. You have helped bring it to both the country and the world."

CM Yogi observed, "Regardless of the time—day or night, morning or evening, whether during a cold wave or under the scorching sun—if there was one entity working tirelessly, it was the media. While the flow of Mother Ganga continued, the media worked diligently, and due to your positive contributions, Maha Kumbh Prayagraj has set new records." During the event, a short film featuring the song "Maha Kumbh Ek Yaad Ban Gaya" (The memories of Maha Kumbh were preserved in this film) was showcased.

The Chief Minister emphasised that spirituality and economy converged as a vision during the Maha Kumbh-2025. He expressed that the vision of integrating spirituality and economy, as envisioned by the Prime Minister, was evidently realised here. Uttar Pradesh has significant potential for spiritual tourism, which the state has successfully demonstrated. "Last year, 650 million devotees and tourists visited various pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh," he noted. These included Ayodhya Dham, Kashi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Maa Vindhyavasini Dham, Gorakhpur, Shuktirth, and Naimisharanya.

In Prayagraj alone, 66.3 million tourists and devotees visited in just 45 days, setting new records. Furthermore, the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh has facilitated five spiritual tourism routes within Uttar Pradesh: 1. From Prayagraj to Mirzapur and Kashi 2. From Prayagraj to Ayodhya and Gorakhpur 3. From Prayagraj to Lalpur, Rajapur, and Chitrakoot 4. From Prayagraj to Lucknow and Naimisharanya 5. From Prayagraj to Mathura-Vrindavan via Bundelkhand Expressway and Agra For more than a month and a half, hundreds of thousands of devotees have participated in these pilgrimages. Over 100 countries were represented in Prayagraj during this period, including ambassadors and high commissioners from 74 countries, as well as ministers or heads of state from 12 countries.

The Chief Minister highlighted that, for the first time, Prayagraj showcased attractions that drew tourists, including the Akshay Vat Corridor, Maa Saraswati Koop Corridor, Patalpuri Corridor, Bade Hanuman Ji Corridor, Maharishi Bhardwaj Corridor, Nagvasuki Corridor, Shringverpur Corridor, and Dwadash Madhav Corridor. These 12 different corridors have been developed to attract every visitor from a tourism perspective.