<i>A Rs 22,425-crore infrastructure push is under way as Nashik prepares to host millions of pilgrims. The celebrations will continue through 2007 and well into 2008</i>
On October 31, Nashik will raise a sacred flag to mark the start of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela calendar. President Droupadi Murmu has been invited to the ceremony. The principal bathing dates are still months away, but preparations are already reshaping the city.
The Maharashtra government has approved a development plan worth Rs 22,425.39 crore. It covers roads, bridges, water supply, sanitation, transport, crowd management and the conservation of religious and historical sites.