For Sunita Pandey, a spontaneous decision to embark on this pilgrimage was born out of an unshakeable calling to witness Maha Kumbh 2025; 22-year-old Diya Pandey who feels more spiritual after taking a dip in the holy waters

Sunita — a businesswoman who runs a cloth manufacturing company named Varalakshmi Ethnic Wear LLP, had initially travelled from Mumbai to Delhi for a wedding. In the midst of the celebrations, a thought struck her: if she could take time off from her busy schedule for a wedding, why not for Maha Kumbh

Diya, a 22-year-old B Tech student at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) said she and her mother are big fans of road trips. The spontaneity of it all made the 24-hour journey even more exciting. Within two hours of their decision, they packed their bags and set off at 8 am on January 23, embarking on the 1,400-kilometer journey from their home in Goregaon West to Prayagraj

Their first stop was Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, about 12 hours into the journey. Finding a hotel at the last minute proved to be a challenge, but they finally secured a stay at Royal Orbit Hotel, which was just off the Jabalpur Highway and was a welcome respite from the road.

By nightfall on January 24, they reached Prayagraj and checked into VIP tents in Naini, a satellite town on the outskirts. The accommodations, despite costing R10,000 per night, were comfortable, with clean facilities—a much-needed convenience given the magnitude of the event