Mahakumbh-2025: Indian Skimmer to be bird fest mascot
Preparations are complete for Mahakumbh-2025's climate conference and bird festival, featuring the Indian skimmer as mascot, from February 16-18.
All preparations are complete for the climate conference and bird festival at Mahakumbh-2025, being organised under the supervision of the forests, environment and climate change department of the state government.
On February 16, a climate conference on the theme “Kumbh ki Aastha evam Jalvayu Parivartan” will be held at Mahakumbh, with chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurating the event, informed officials.
The conference will witness participation from religious leaders, environmentalists, social organisations, industry representatives, business leaders, and eminent citizens.
Additionally, the skimmer bird has been designated as the mascot for the Nature and Bird Festival-2025 set to be held on the Sangam banks from February 16 to 18, symbolising the confluence of faith and conservation, officials said.
“This year and coincidentally, the Indian Skimmer has been chosen as the mascot of the bird festival, a species found at the Sangam. To raise awareness about its conservation, it has been given this special recognition. With all preparations complete, this edition of the bird festival promises to be truly exceptional,” said Lalit Verma, nodal officer, Bird Festival-2025.
The Indian skimmer plays a crucial role as an indicator of river health. It thrives in marshy areas along the banks of rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Recognised for its striking orange beak and black-and-white plumage, its distinct feature is a lower mandible that is longer than the upper one, allowing it to efficiently catch prey while skimming the water’s surface. This unique adaptation has earned it the local name “Panchira”.
In Uttar Pradesh, the skimmer bird breeds along the Ganga, Yamuna, and Chambal rivers, with an estimated population of around 1,000 in the state.
The bird festival has been organised consistently, with each edition taking place at a different location.
In 2017, the festival was held at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Pilibhit, followed by Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Unnao, in 2019 and Sursarovar Bird Sanctuary, Keetham-Agra, in 2020. The Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Gautam Buddha Nagar, hosted the event in 2021, but it could not be held in 2022 due to the pandemic. In subsequent years, the festival was organised at Vijay Sagar Bird Sanctuary, Mahoba, in 2023, and Surajpur Wetland in 2024.
A curtain raiser event for the climate conference and bird festival was held in Lucknow recently. School children participated in a walkathon, which began in the morning from 1090 Crossing and ended at Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Park. The event also featured a musical performance by the ITBP band.
During the programme, the mascot and teaser of the festival were unveiled at the Saras Auditorium in the zoo. The event was attended by forest minister of state (independent charge) Arun Kumar Saxena, principal chief forest conservator Aparna Yadav and head of department Sunil Chaudhary, and other dignitaries.