Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: Chaincode, Okto to Issue Polygon-Powered NFT Tickets to Tent City Visitors

Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 began in Prayagraj on Monday, marking the beginning of one of the biggest religious and spiritual gatherings in the world. This year, Okto Wallet and blockchain-focussed Chaincode Consulting have partnered to offer Poloygon-based NFT tickets to the visitors at the religious event. The initiative is set to add a Web3 element to an otherwise ancient, traditional practice. It will enable visitors to get an NFT version of their train tickets to the Tent City, that has been set up in Prayagraj, to accommodate tourists.

Okto released details about the new initiative on Tuesday, stating that these NFT tickets will also offer benefits on tent bookings and other facilities at the Maha Kumbh Mela.

“Travelers booking tickets for select Indian Railways services, and the Kumbh Mela Tent City booking will receive an NFT version of their ticket. These NFTs will be securely stored in their Okto Wallet, providing a unique, personalised digital keepsake,” Okto's release said.

In addition, holders of these NFT tickets will be able to record their photos and videos on the Polygon blockchain, that is set to host these NFT tickets.

In conversation with Gadgets 360, Chaincode explained that NFTs on ticket purchases will be facilitated by NFTTrace, Chaincode's flagship product that tokenises assets such as tickets, certificates, and land records into NFTs.

Okto is a multi-chain self-custodial crypto wallet that was launched by Indian exchange CoinDCX in 2022. Polygon, on the other hand, is an Ethereum-based layer-2 blockchain developed by Jaynti Kanani, Sandeep Nailwal, and Anurag Arjun.

Alok Gupta, the founder and CEO of Chaincode told Gadgets 360 that these NFTs are not tradeable. Except for Kumbh-related offers and benefits, these NFTs do not carry any underlying financial value, he added.

“Web3, at its core, is meant for everyday users, and what better platform to introduce it on this scale than the Maha Kumbh? Our goal is to make this sacred experience even more special and memorable. This is a milestone moment for Web3 adoption, and we're thrilled to make it accessible, impactful, and meaningful for everyone,” said Rohit Jain, Head of DeFi initiatives at CoinDCX and Okto.

This is not the first time that an NFT twist was introduced to celebrate a festival in India. In March 2023, the IRCTC unveiled colourful NFT tickets for two Tejas trains running between Delhi and Lucknow. The initiative was launched to mark the spirit of Holi. The IRCTC or the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is a central public sector enterprise governed by the Ministry of Railways in the country.