Haridwar, June 28 -- As preparations gather pace for the 2027 Ardh Kumbh, over the past week Mela administration officials have begun meeting saints and representatives of various akhadas at their ashrams in Haridwar to seek their suggestions and ensure their participation in planning the religious congregation, officials said. Officials said the outreach exercise aims to gather feedback from the saint community while updating them on key infrastructure projects planned for the fair. During the meetings, Mela officials briefed saints on projects including the construction of new Ganga ghats along the Rishikul-Prem Nagar Ashram stretch on NH-58, span bridges connecting different parts of the mela area, high-capacity water tanks, and the redevelopment of key intersections and ghats in and around the core mela zone. They also shared plans for the temporary Kumbh city, including arrangements for the accommodation of akhadas, saints and religious organisations. Saints and akhada representatives, in turn, offered suggestions on organising the Ardh Kumbh on a grand scale with world-class facilities for devotees and seers arriving from across the country and abroad. Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri Maharaj of Niranjani Akhada on Saturday said the 2027 Ardh Kumbh should be organised on the lines of the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh held in 2025. "The state government and the Mela administration are in regular touch with us, just as the governments and Mela administrations of Ujjain and Nashik are. Akhadas should be allotted adequate space to establish their chhavnis (camps) along with all basic amenities. We are hopeful that the state government and the Mela administration will make the necessary arrangements," he said. Mahamandaleshwar Swami Harichetnanand Maharaj said chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was keen to organise the Haridwar Ardh Kumbh on a grand scale....