The world's largest religious gathering is a $150 billion business

• India’s Ardh Kumbh Mela, 2019 which kicked off on 15 January is reportedly going to get the Uttar Pradesh government a $150 billion return on investment.
  
• Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj has already engaged over 600,000 people in commercial activities ranging from hospitality to logistics.
  
• This year’s festival has been a boon for local traders as the authorities are expecting 130 million tourists from within the country and outside India.
  
  

India’s Kumbh Mela 2019, the world’s largest religious gathering taking place in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh is expected to make the local state government as much as $150 billion in revenue, reported Press Trust of India citing the Confederation of Indian Industry, a national trade body.

Millions of pilgrims both from within the country and around the world visit the festival to take a holy dip at the confluence of three Indian rivers -- the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

Here’s an insight into the economics of the world’s largest religious gathering: