PRAYAGRAJ, April 27 -- Prominent bathing ghats in the Sangam city are set for a transformation, with plans to introduce daily aartis, yoga sessions, and a range of cultural and spiritual activities to enhance the experience of pilgrims and tourists. The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated a plan to hand over the operation and maintenance of seven key ghats along the Ganga and Yamuna to private institutions. Officials said the move is aimed at improving upkeep while developing the ghats into vibrant centres of spirituality, culture, and community engagement. In the first phase, the project will cover four ghats on the Ganga-Chhatnag, Nageshwar, Rasulabad, and Shankar Ghat-and three on the Yamuna-Gau Ghat, Balua Ghat, and Mahewa Ghat. The civic body has invited applications through an Expression of Interest (EOI). Selected agencies will be responsible for maintaining cleanliness, ensuring basic amenities, and organising non-commercial activities such as daily evening aarti, morning yoga, and meditation sessions. They will also conduct bhajan and kirtan programmes, devotional singing, spiritual discourses, and celebrations of traditional festivals. Additional municipal commissioner Deependra Yadav said the agencies will also prepare the ghats for major occasions such as Dev Deepawali and Chhath Puja. "The idea is to improve management while preserving the spiritual ambience of the ghats," he said. Officials clarified that all activities must remain non-commercial and comply with local bylaws, in coordination with departments such as irrigation, tourism, and the pollution control board. Agencies will also be responsible for crowd management, visitor safety, and ensuring that religious practices continue without restrictions. The initiative also emphasises wellness and educational activities. Plans include morning yoga and pranayama sessions, awareness programmes on Ayurveda and naturopathy, Sanskrit and regional language learning initiatives, and public readings and storytelling based on mythological themes....