Nashik: Simhastha Kumbh To Create Jobs For Over 10,000 Women Through 9,000 SHGs

The upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik district is projected to generate employment opportunities for over ten thousand women, thanks to the participation of more than nine hundred self-help groups. These women's groups, which include single and tribal women, will engage in the creation of religious items, souvenirs, and other products required for the grand religious event.

With three major Parvani bathing occasions scheduled during the Kumbh Mela, a large number of devotees and tourists from India and abroad are expected to visit Nashik and Trimbakeshwar.

The initiative will focus on producing attractive puja kits and decorative offerings for devotees. Self-help groups from Peth, Harsul, and Trimbakeshwar will be responsible for preparing specially designed puja thalis, which will be available in various sizes and contain essential puja materials like kumkum, turmeric, camphor, panchgavya, and cotton wicks. Additionally, a cluster center is being established in the Harsul region to train women from self-help groups in manufacturing decorative and utility items using bamboo.

During the Kumbh Mela, which is set to occur during the monsoon season, self-help groups will be involved in producing rain-related items such as umbrellas and raincoats. In an effort to promote environmentally friendly practices, plastic use will be discouraged, and self-help groups will create cloth bags and other sustainable alternatives.

Special exhibitions featuring handicrafts, decorative products, food items, and natural products made by women will also be organized in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar during the Kumbh period.

This initiative is anticipated to provide substantial economic opportunities, particularly for tribal and rural women, as more than nine thousand self-help groups from the district are expected to participate in the program, generating direct and indirect employment for over ten thousand women during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.