Vivek Mishra works as an Assistant Editor with Eastern Eye and has over 13 years of experience in journalism. His areas of interest include politics, international affairs, current events, and sports. With a background in newsroom operations and editorial planning, he has reported and edited stories on major national and global developments.
AT THE Maha Kumbh Mela in India's Prayagraj, modern technology is being used to enhance traditional practices. Chai Point, in collaboration with the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), has introduced robotic tea-making stalls at the event.
These automated tea stations aim to serve over one crore cups of chai throughout the Mela. The tea is prepared using Nandini brand milk, and organisers plan to set a Guinness World Record for the most cups served at a single event. Despite having only 10 stalls, each can serve thousands of cups daily to meet the demand of millions of visitors.
Harvard Business School Professor Tarun Khanna, who is attending the Maha Kumbh Mela, highlighted the use of technology at the event. Writing in his blog, Khanna described how state-of-the-art robots are preparing and serving chai, ensuring consistency, quality, and affordability.
"The chai is being made by a state-of-the-art robotic tea machine, ensuring quality and affordability," he wrote. Khanna was impressed by the efficiency and scale of the operation in a setting where millions of people gather.
Beyond the tea stalls, Khanna also noted the extensive security arrangements at the Mela. He observed that India's para-commandos were deployed for crowd management, supported by a high-tech surveillance system. This includes a NASA-style control room, drones, and distributed sensors designed to monitor the large crowds and help authorities address any issues.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, shared Khanna’s observations on social media, emphasising the combination of tradition and technology at the event. He quoted Khanna’s description of the Maha Kumbh Mela as "the world's largest gathering of humanity," with an expected attendance of 250 million people over several weeks.
Professor Tarun Khanna of the Harvard Business School @TarunKhannaHBS is at the Maha Kumbh
His daily observations provide a fascinating view into the happenings there….
This blog edition was particularly interesting and worth sharing with you all…
The peak daily footfall is projected to reach 50 million, and the event is being hosted in a temporary megacity set up for the occasion.
Chai Point also shared its perspective on its participation at the Mela through its official Instagram handle.
The company stated, "At Chai Point, we don’t just serve chai; we are in the business of fuelling India’s aspirations one cup at a time. And there’s no better place to showcase our scale and impact than the Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest human gathering—a once-in-144-years phenomenon. We’re not just participating; we’re leading. And our ‘Chai Point at Mahakumbh’ series documents this journey."
The company also announced the launch of a film in the series titled Finding the Chai, which explores locations where Chai Point is serving tea and fostering a sense of community.
Chai Point emphasised that the Maha Kumbh represents chai at an unprecedented scale, and the company is equipped to handle such an event. The company also acknowledged its official partners: Britannia Good Day as the brand partner, KMF Nandini as the dairy partner, and Goeld Frozen Food as the menu partner.
Additionally, Chai Point announced, "We’re honoured to announce that Chai Point is here to serve warmth and energy to millions who converge at the sacred Triveni Sangam over the next 45 days. With our presence across 9 strategic locations at the Kumbh grounds, the perfect cup of chai is never too far from you. This isn’t just another milestone for us – it’s an opportunity to serve our ‘India runs on Chai’ philosophy at the heart of India’s cultural heritage. Stay tuned for more updates as we share stories from this incredible gathering."
The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is being held from 13 January to 26 February in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Prince Andrew attends a Requiem Mass, a Catholic funeral service, for the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral in London on September 16, 2025. (Photo by AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
PRINCE ANDREW on Friday (17) renounced his title of Duke of York under pressure from his brother King Charles, amid further revelations about his ties to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"I will... no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me," Andrew, 65, said in a bombshell announcement.
He said his decision came after discussions with the head of state, King Charles III.
"I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first," Andrew said in a statement sent out by Buckingham Palace.
He again denied all allegations of wrongdoing, but said "We have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family."
Andrew, who stepped back from public life in 2019 amid the Epstein scandal, will remain a prince, as he is the second son of the late queen Elizabeth II.
But he will no longer hold the title of Duke of York that she had conferred on him.
UK media reported that he would also give up membership of the prestigious Order of the Garter, the most senior knighthood in the British honours system, which dates to 1348.
Prince Andrew (L) and King Charles III. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will also no longer use the title of Duchess of York, though his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie remain princesses.
Andrew has become a source of deep embarrassment for his brother Charles, following a devastating 2019 television interview in which he defended his friendship with Epstein.
Epstein took his own life in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking underage girls for sex.
In the interview, Andrew vowed he had cut ties in 2010 with Epstein, who was disgraced after an American woman, Virginia Giuffre, accused him of using her as a sex slave.
But in an reported exchange that emerged in UK media this week, Andrew told the convicted sex offender in 2011 that they were "in this together" when a photo of the prince with his arm around Giuffre was published.
But he added the two would "play together soon".
Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen, took her own life at her farm in Western Australia on April 25.
"The monarchy simply had to put a stop to it," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the BBC. "He has dishonoured his titles, he's in disgrace."
Andrew was stripped of his military titles in 2022 and shuffled off into retirement after Giuffre accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
New allegations emerged this week in Giuffre's posthumous memoir in which she wrote that Andrew had behaved as if having sex with her was his "birthright".
In "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice", to be published next week, Giuffre wrote she had sex with Andrew on three separate occasions, including when she was under 18.
Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre's accusations and avoided a trial in a civil lawsuit by paying a multimillion-dollar settlement.
FILE PHOTO: Jeffrey Epstein poses for a sex offender mugshot after being charged with procuring a minor for prostitution on July 25, 2013 in Florida. (Photo by Florida Department of Law Enforcement via Getty Images)
In extracts published by The Guardian newspaper this week, Giuffre described meeting the prince in London in March 2001 when she was 17.
Andrew was allegedly challenged to guess her age, which he did correctly, adding by way of explanation: "My daughters are just a little younger than you."
The once-popular royal was hailed a hero when he flew as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War.
Internationally, he was best known for his 1986 wedding to Ferguson, boosting support for the centuries-old institution five years after his elder brother Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer.
Andrew has also become embroiled in a China spying scandal, and The Daily Telegraph revealed on Thursday (16) that he had met three times in 2018 and 2019 with a top Chinese official reportedly at the centre of the case.
The Epstein case also caught up with Ferguson, 65, last month, when an email from 2011 emerged in which she called Epstein a "supreme friend" and sought forgiveness for "letting him down".
She had vowed in the past to "never have anything to do with" Epstein again and called a £15,000 ($20,000) loan the billionaire had made to her "a gigantic error of judgement".
York City councillor Darryl Smalley said the city had lobbied hard for Andrew to drop the title.
"It's obviously a long time coming, but finally they recognised what a massive liability he is," he said.
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