Ujjain, Jan 31 (IANS): Akhil Bharatiya Pujari Mahasangh has urged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav not to allow VIPs in Ujjain's Simhastha mela to be held in 2028 and take lessons from the Pryagaraj Maha Kumbh.

In a letter to the CM, Pujari Mahasangh chief Mahesh Pujari has suggested that a lesson should be learned from the tragic incident that occurred during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

He has suggested that the area of the Shipra River where the pilgrims will take a holy dip during the Simhastha, should be divided into several parts. Separate pathways and ghats should be made for the priests of all 13 Aksharas.

"The Shankaracharya should be given the priority for a holy dip at Ram Ghat on the bank of Kshipra River. VIPs and VVIPs should not be allowed in Simhastha and separate pathways and ghats should be made for Akharas," Pujari has suggested.

Notably, the state government has begun preparation for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, several projects have been approved in the past few months, including a metro line from Indore to Ujjain.

The Madhya Pradesh government has sent two separate teams of senior officials, including IAS and IPS, to study the various arrangements to manage vast crowds, including sanitation, health services, water supply, and law and order during the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh cabinet has recently approved a proposal to build a 29-km-long pathway on the banks of river Shipra and 'ghats' in view of the Simhastha Kumbh-2028 in Ujjain.

All 13 Akharas of saints and seers will take a dip one after another for which elaborate arrangements will be along the banks of the Shipra River. The state government has decided to build separate 'ghats' for saints.

The state government has estimated that around two crore people will visit Ujjain during the one-month-long Simhastha mela.