Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Saturday said preparations for Simhastha-2028 must be planned on a scale that can handle nearly 40 crore devotees, calling the event the world’s biggest religious gathering and urging coordination with neighbouring states to manage the expected rush.

The chief minister was speaking at a one-day workshop on “Simhastha-2016 ka Sankalp, Simhastha-2028 ka Sankalp” after arriving in Ujjain around 11.25 am by helicopter. He inaugurated the session at Anjushree Hotel, where officials reviewed infrastructure plans, departmental responsibilities and lessons from the 2016 Simhastha.

Senior officials who were posted in Ujjain during the 2016 event shared their experiences and discussed the logistical challenges that may arise in 2028. Ujjain Divisional Commissioner Ashish Singh made a presentation on the ongoing preparations. Officers from across the state attended the workshop.

Yadav said the last Simhastha had faced traffic bottlenecks in several places and that similar problems must not be repeated. He said the administration should prepare in advance for movement along not just Ujjain’s main routes, but also the wider network connecting the city with nearby districts and states.

“Simhastha-2028 will be the world’s largest mela. If 40 crore devotees are expected, arrangements must be ready at that scale,” the chief minister said, according to officials present at the programme. He added that coordination with neighbouring states would be essential so that pilgrims coming from border areas do not face avoidable disruption.

The chief minister also said that Ujjain is not just a city for a holy dip in the Shipra, but a place where devotees will visit multiple religious sites. For that reason, the state is aiming to restore and upgrade temples across the city and surrounding areas. He said the government has taken up the renovation of all major temples as part of the broader spiritual and civic planning.

Yadav noted that several transport facilities have improved since the 2016 event. He pointed out that the Fatehabad railway track was not operational at the time, but is now available. According to him, road widening has also been carried out on routes that earlier caused congestion.

A major part of the discussion focused on accommodation and movement. The chief minister said government arrangements should be strong enough that pilgrims do not have to depend only on private hotels or buildings. He also said facilities at dhabas and hotels along routes up to 100 km from Ujjain will need to be strengthened to absorb the expected traffic and footfall.

Officials said the workshop was meant to align departments well before the massive religious gathering, which is expected to involve not just crowd management but sanitation, transport, health, security and emergency response systems. The focus, they said, is on avoiding the kind of pressure points seen during earlier editions of the event.

The administration is now expected to move from planning to phased execution, with district and divisional teams preparing detailed action points. The chief minister said the goal is to make Simhastha-2028 “better and historic” with collective effort and coordination across agencies and neighbouring states.