Four more buses to run between Odisha, Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh Mela

To meet the rising demand from devotees eager to take holy dips during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj this year, the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) expanded its bus services on Wednesday, an OSRTC source said.

Initiated two days ago, this enhancement includes four additional bus services from various parts of the State to Prayagraj of Uttar Pradesh.

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With bus travel often being a more economical option than trains or flights, its popularity has surged among the populace. Furthermore, OSRTC has plans also to extend bus services to Ayodhya, thus fulfilling the transport needs of the community.

Earlier, the Odisha government introduced new bus services on January 13 to key pilgrimage destinations, including tailored arrangements for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. The buses connect the State with prominent pilgrimage sites across the country.

As part of the plan, OSRTC buses were engaged to ferry devotees to different religious sites. The bus services were launched for devotees from four major cities such as Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Bhawanipatna and Sambalpur in Odisha.

The buses for Maha Kumbh Mela will run till February 26, designed to provide comfortable travel for the devotees from Odisha. “We have decided to continue with the pilgrimage bus services in the future,” Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena previously informed.

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“We are discussing with the Departmental higher-ups to provide us a permit for new buses to Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya. For the time being, two sets of new buses will ply from four different locations,” Additional Secretary of Transport Department Laxmikanta Sethi said when contacted.