Lucknow: The recently finished Maha Kumbh, which attracted over 66 crore pilgrims, irrevocably changed the lives of scores of people, including auto drivers, food vendors, and boatmen.
Among many similar stories, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told the story of a boatman family from Prayagraj. Pintu Mahara, a boatman from Prayagraj's Arail region, earned Rs 30 crore during Mahakumbh by ferrying VVIPs and common devotees to bathing ghats to facilitate their holy dips. His family owns 130 boats in all.
Pintu's life has taken a drastic turn with a single bold decision. “It is divine grace and blessings. I have got a big family with over 100 members. Anticipating a massive influx of devotees, I expanded my fleet of 60 boats by adding an equal number taking the total to 130 boats ahead of the Mahakumbh,” says Pintu, TNIE reported.
This is not an isolated case. Mahakumbh gave prosperity to many other boatmen's families, and many of them now have a secure future after repaying their loans.
Pintu Mahara says that his experience with the 2019 Kumbh, when 24 crore devotees poured to Prayagraj, helped him anticipate an even bigger surge for Mahakumbh 2025. With this insight, he increased his family's fleet by buying 70 more boats, bringing the total to 130. He invested in the jewellery of family women in order to expand the fleet.
However, the strategic decision was extremely profitable, yielding huge earnings that guaranteed his family's future for decades. Shuklavati Devi, Pintu's mother, is ecstatic with the results.
After her husband's death, she described Mahakumbh-2025 as a blessing and saviour for her family. “Now I will be able to educate my children in a good school,” says Shuklavati Devi with a glint of hope and confidence in her eyes.