How One Bold Decision Transformed a Boatman Family's Destiny After Mela

One bold decision by Pintu Mahra, a boatman from Arail village on the banks of Triveni in Prayagraj, transformed his family's fortunes.

- K Sandeep Kumar

PRAYAGRAJ: By the time Mahakumbh ended, he had joined the elite club of millionaires, with UP CM Yogi Adityanath highlighting his remarkable success story in the state assembly.

Pintu and his family earned a staggering Rs 30 crore in just 45 days by operating a fleet of boats during Mahakumbh. What once fetched them Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per day per boat skyrocketed to Rs 50,000 to Rs 52,000 daily, marking an extraordinary turnaround.

During a discussion on the annual budget 2025-26 in the legislative assembly on March 4, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath shared a success story from the recently concluded Mahakumbh in Prayagraj—a boatman and his family earned Rs 30 crore in just 45 days. According to the CM, the boatman owned 130 boats, each generating an average profit of Rs 23 lakh during the grand religious gathering.