‘Prayagraj is exhausted’: Fed-up local asks Mahakumbh devotees to go back

A Prayagraj resident has shared an appeal to all Mahakumbh visitors: Please stop coming to the city. In a Reddit post that has gone viral online, the local man said Prayagraj has reached its breaking point. “I don’t even know where to start, man. Prayagraj has officially reached its breaking point, and as a local resident, I can’t f****g take it anymore,” he said.

Crowd is only increasing

The Reddit user said that all of last year went in the preparation for Mahakumbh. Roads in Prayagraj were dug up, flyovers were constructed, and every corner of the city was beautified in anticipation of the world’s largest religious festival. However, now that the Mahakumbh is on its last leg, the crowd of visitors in the Uttar Pradesh city is only increasing.

The Reddit user said that initially, he and his fellow Prayagraj residents were happy and excited to welcome visitors from all corners of the country. However, the ever-increasing horde has now made it difficult for them to carry out their day to day functions.

“Now it’s 19th February. The last Amrit Snan is already done. We are literally in the ending phase of Mahakumbh. So why the hell is the crowd only increasing instead of decreasing?!” the user asked.

“The city is exhausted”

The Reddit user asked Mahakumbh devotees to stop coming to the city as it is "exhausted" and ill-equipped to handle the huge crowds.

“It’s like people from all over India just refuse to stop coming. The city is beyond exhausted. Public transport? Overloaded. Roads? Completely jammed. Even the narrowest gullies (alleys) are packed with people and vehicles. Every single street, turn, and intersection is just cars, e-rickshaws, and foot traffic forcing their way through,” he said.

He elaborated on the theme by saying that drivers are worsening the “already insane” traffic, while pedestrians are littering and spitting without any civic sense.

“Outer people just keep coming with their own vehicles, walking in huge groups, completely choking the city. There is literally no space left anywhere,” the user said.

“Locals are blamed”

Locals are bearing the brunt of Mahakumbh, and - even worse - being blamed for the city’s traffic situation, the Reddit user claimed. He said that after being forced to stay indoors for days, he decided to take his vehicle out on February 18.

“I took my vehicle out, only to be stopped by random strangers yelling at me, saying "Aap logon ki wajah se jam lag raha hai! (The traffic jam is because of you people),” he wrote.

“We have been locked in our homes for 2 months, waiting for the crowd to settle. And when we finally try to step out, you tell us to stay inside? Are we at fault for being residents of Prayagraj?” he asked.

The user also claimed that he spent one hour in a 2 km traffic jam before giving up and going back home. He ended his post by asking devotees to stop coming to Prayagraj.

“Ganga ji aur Sangam kahin nahi ja rahe. You can come peacefully later. Have some mercy on this city and its people. We are begging you,” he wrote.