Donations embrace the ‘smart path’ in digital Mahakumbh-2025
From religious institutions to sadhus, a large number of them have come up with QR codes to enable pilgrims, patrons, and tourists to make donations to them through the smart digital route.
With the state and central governments promoting digital financial transactions in a big way and the ongoing mega religious fair of Mahakumbh-2025 also witnessing a digital push, even donations have undergone a smart transformation in the sprawling 4000-hectare tent city of Mahakumbh Nagar.
From religious institutions to sadhus, a large number of them have come up with QR codes to enable pilgrims, patrons, and tourists to make donations to them through the smart digital route.
Even donation boxes installed outside makeshift temples in many camps in the mela area are sporting QR codes for this purpose. So is the case with camps running ‘Ann Kshetra’ (feeding areas) or organising ‘bhandaras’ (community meals) for pilgrims.
If someone does not have cash or prefers the digital mode of payments, these QR codes allow such people to make contributions and donations digitally.
This time, the state government too has emphasised organising the entire Mahakumbh with a digital drive. This is the reason why the mela administration has made every piece of information available digitally. For example, information about administrative officers’ contact numbers, posts, and lists of hospitals, hotels, restaurants, etc., can all be obtained simply by scanning QR codes on billboards dotting the mela area.
The sadhus too are not far behind. A temple of Lord Jagannath has been built in the ISKCON camp located in Sector 19 of the mela area. Here, a donation box has been placed in front of the temple with a QR code pasted on top of the donation box. After coming to the temple, those who are not carrying cash or simply prefer digital transactions are donating by scanning the QR code.
“It is quick, simple, and involves no hassles of finding the exact amount you wish to donate. I welcome this move,” shared Sharad Mishra, a pilgrim from Bhopal.
Similarly, a QR code has also been made available for digital payment at the Dandi Sanyasi Ashram in Sector 18 of the mela area. The camp of Shri Gau-Gauri Gopal Seva Sansthan has been set up outside the camp of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Sector 17. Here too, a QR code greets visitors along with the WhatsApp number for making donations through digital payments.
Not only this, but digital donations are also being accepted for the Bhandaras or community meals. After crossing pontoon bridge number 12, when one arrives on Ganga Path Road of the tent city right next to Shastri Bridge, there is a banner of Dadaji Khichdi Wale. It too has a QR code on it. People are donating by scanning it. At the same time, many pandas (priests) on the banks of Ganga also immediately provide UPI scanners through their mobile phones for digital payments by pilgrims for religious rituals.