Sangam: Smart Crowd Management and Assistance Platform

Abstract

Sangam is a scalable, web-based platform built to manage massive religious congregations like the Kumbh Mela [15]. It leverages modern web technologies to digitize and streamline essential services such as crowd monitoring, ghat allotment, hotel booking, prasad distribution, multilingual assistance, and a lost & found mechanism. Using real-time communication[12] and intelligent automation[3], Sangam enhances safety, improves visitor experience, and simplifies administrative efforts.

Introduction

Sangam is a smart, web-based event management system designed to address the challenges of large-scale Indian religious festivals like the Kumbh Mela. These events involve millions of participants and demand seamless coordination of services like crowd control, accommodation, and emergency response. Traditional systems, reliant on manual processes and loudspeaker communication, often result in inefficiencies and safety issues.

Key Challenges in Current Religious Events

1. Overcrowding and traffic congestion

2. Ineffective emergency planning

3. Limited access to food and lodging

4. Poorly managed lost & found systems

5. Lack of smart crowd control technologies

6. Manual ghat and accommodation allocation

7. No centralized registration

8. Absence of multilingual communication

9. Delayed response to critical issues

Sangam’s Innovations

• Real-time digital platform with centralized services.

• Built using React.js, Node.js, MongoDB, and Socket.IO.

• Features include:

  • Crowd monitoring

  • Ghat allotment

  • Lost & found system

  • Hotel booking

  • Multilingual chatbot (via RouterAI)

• Modular design allows for scalability and adaptability.

Technology Architecture

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, React.js (modular, responsive UI)

• Backend: Node.js + Express, MongoDB (RESTful APIs)

• Real-time Communication: Socket.IO (crowd alerts, updates)

• AI & Image Processing: Python with OpenCV (crowd behavior analysis)

• Chatbot: RouterAI for multilingual assistance

Hardware Components

• QR-code wristbands for attendee identification

• QR scanners at checkpoints

• CCTV cameras for real-time surveillance

• Edge computing units for local AI processing

• Mesh network routers for stable data syncing

Agile Development Process

1. Requirement Gathering: Identified needs like crowd control, food tracking, and lost & found.

2. Design: User-centric UI with responsive layouts and dark mode.

3. Development: Sprint-based, feature-wise implementation using reusable components.

4. Testing: Continuous, cross-device and cross-browser checks.

5. Deployment: Incremental rollout for early feedback.

6. Review & Iteration: Feedback-informed improvements.

Position in Research

• Sangam stands out by focusing on culturally diverse, spiritual events, unlike most urban or entertainment-based smart systems.

• Offers a domain-specific model for Indian festival digitization and a scalable template for events like Rath Yatra or Ganesh Utsav.

Limitations

• Data accuracy issues due to lighting or scanner sensitivity.

• Scalability constraints in high-density venues.

• Multilingual gaps in chatbot dialect coverage.

• Integration challenges with third-party hardware.

• Maintenance demands for updates and system support.

References

[1] IEEE Smart Cities, “Smart Crowd Management Technologies for Large-Scale Events,” IEEE Xplore, 2021. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org [2] Journal of Emerging Technologies, “IoT-based Lost & Found Systems Using RFID and QR Code,” J. Emerging Technol., vol. 12, no. 4, 2020. [3] Springer AI in Public Safety, “AI-driven Real-time Crowd Density Analysis for Public Events,” SpringerLink, 2019. Available: https://link.springer.com. [4] Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, “Smart Event Planning & Safety Solutions for Mass Gatherings,” 2022. [5] API Setu, Government of India, “Real-time API Access for Emergency Alerts and Public Information,” Available: https://www.apisetu.gov.in. [6] NITI Aayog, “Smart City Initiatives for Crowd Control and Public Safety,” 2021. [7] A. Kasinathan, A. Mustapha, and C. K. Bin, “A Customizable Multilingual Chatbot System for Customer Support,” Proc. 2021 ACM Conf. on Human-Computer Interaction, 2021. Available: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7e70/0993405810ce2b571d02a533688a9ea88aaa.pdf. [8] React.js Documentation, “Getting Started – React,” [Online]. Available: https://react.dev/. [9] Node.js Documentation, “About Node.js,” [Online]. Available: https://nodejs.org/en/docs/. [10] MongoDB Documentation, “MongoDB Manual,” [Online]. Available: https://www.mongodb.com/docs/. [11] Mongoose Documentation, “Mongoose ODM Documentation,” [Online]. Available: https://mongoosejs.com/docs/. [12] Socket.IO Documentation, “Socket.IO – Real-time Engine,” [Online]. Available: https://socket.io/docs/. [13] Bootstrap Documentation, “Introduction to Bootstrap 5,” [Online]. Available: https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.0/getting-started/introduction/. [14] OpenRouter AI Documentation, “OpenRouter API Documentation,” [Online]. Available: https://openrouter.ai/docs. [15] Harvard University South Asia Institute, “Managing the Kumbh Mela: Mapping the Largest Gathering on Earth,” South Asia Institute, Harvard University, 2015. [16] S. Darianian and M. P. Michael, “Smart Event Management using IoT Technologies,” in IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 494-500, 2017, doi: 10.1109/TETC.2017.2679165. [17] G. K. Still, “Crowd Management: Past and Contemporary Research and Future Directions,” Safety Science, vol. 72, pp. 65–68, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2014.08.006.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Hema Verma , Vaishali Dewangan, Ms. Sonia Wadhwa. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.