Mahakumbh: Vehicle passes with QR codes to be issued online for the first time
For Mahakumbh-2025, online vehicle passes with barcodes will be issued to enhance security, featuring color codes for access levels to the mela area.
In a first, online passes will be issued for the entry of vehicles in the mela area during Mahakumbh-2025. These passes will be different, and each will feature a barcode to prevent use for any vehicle other than the one for which it has been issued.
This decision has been taken to ensure better security during Mahakumbh-2025, informed officials.
“For the first time in Mahakumbh, online passes will be issued to avoid any inconvenience. Soon, a website will be launched where people can apply online for the passes,” said Vijay Kiran Anand, district magistrate of the Mahakumbh Mela district, a new district set up for four months during Mahakumbh-2025.
Previously, vehicle passes issued during Magh, Kumbh, and Mahakumbh fairs were regular passes bearing the vehicle registration number.
This time, the passes will be made in different colours: red, blue, and green.
The colour of the pass will determine how far the pass holder can go.
During Mahakumbh, many people enter the fair area with vehicles. Some people will be associated with fair security or mela administration and may need to go up to Sangam, while others may only need access to the Parade area but still need to enter the mela to reach their destination. To avoid unnecessary crowding in the fair area, colored passes are necessary, officials said.
For this, the Prayagraj Mela Authority and the Mela Police Department have partnered with Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation (UPDESCO), the state nodal agency for IT and ITeS services.
UPDESCO is preparing a dedicated website for this purpose. A QR code will be added to the pass, which will display the name of the pass holder and vehicle registration details when scanned, making it impossible for anyone else to use the pass, officials explained.
The list of officials and individuals, along with their vehicle registration certificates, will be sent to the Prayagraj Mela Authority by the respective departments. After December 15, the website is expected to be launched for this, said officials.