Health Advisories

Before You Travel

A healthy pilgrimage begins at home.

Consult your health care provider before travelling if you have any medical condition or require regular medical care.
If you have diabetes, high BP, heart, lung or kidney disease, are pregnant, or are elderly, consult your doctor before the journey.
Carry a copy of prescribed medicines, relevant medical records and emergency contact details.
Discuss recommended vaccinations for children with your healthcare provider.
Carry enough medicines for your full stay, plus a copy of your prescription.
Carry your Ayushman Bharat or MJPJAY card if you have one.
Keep a card with your name, blood group, medical condition, regular medicines and an emergency contact.
If you have fever, vomiting, diarrhea or another potentially infectious illness, seek medical advice and consider postponing travel until it is safe.

For Pilgrims with Health Conditions

Long walks, waiting in queues, heat and irregular meals can make existing health conditions worse. Pilgrims with these conditions should take extra care.

Diabetes: do not skip meals or medicines and check your feet daily for cuts and blisters.
High BP and heart disease: take medicines on time, avoid exertion, and stop and rest at once if you feel chest pain or breathlessness.
Asthma and lung disease: carry your inhaler at all times and avoid dense crowds and smoke.
Pregnancy: avoid peak days and dense crowds and carry your antenatal card.
Elderly pilgrims: take frequent rest breaks, avoid long queues, and always keep a companion with you.
Go to nearest health post to seek urgent medical help when,
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain.
- Collapse, unconsciousness, confusion or seizures.
- Severe dehydration, persistent vomiting and inability to walk.

Safe Water and Food

Most monsoon illnesses at large gatherings come from unsafe water and food.

Only drink from designated Safe Drinking Water stations or sealed bottled water. Never drink directly from the river flow.
Wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitiser frequently. This is critical before eating and immediately after using public latrines.
Consume food only from licensed, inspected vendors. Ensure meals are freshly cooked and served steaming hot to prevent acute gastroenteritis or cholera.
Avoid exposed, raw, or pre-cut fruits or food exposed to flies.
Do not drink river water.
Report unusual water colour, odour, visible discharge or suspected chemical exposure to authorized officials.
Do not touch or collect unknown industrial waste or chemical residues.
If exposure is suspected, move away from the source and seek medical advice. Tell the clinician where and how the exposure may have occurred.

Essential Health Checklist to Pack

Hand sanitiser and liquid soap
Face masks and handkerchiefs
Rehydration salts (ORS packets)
Your personal daily medicines (carry a 2-week extra supply)
A copy of your medical history and emergency contact numbers

Injury / emergency	How it occurs	Signs and symptoms	Prevention and protective measures
Crowd crush and stampede-related injury	Excessive crowd pressure, sudden surges, blocked exits and counter-flow	Difficulty breathing, falls, chest compression, collapse and injuries	Follow crowd routes, avoid pushing, keep exits clear and obey police instructions
Falls and fractures	Wet ghat steps, slippery roads, uneven surfaces and overcrowded queues	Pain, swelling, bleeding, deformity or inability to bear weight	Wear non-slip footwear, use handrails and avoid running or overcrowded steps
Drowning and near-drowning	Strong currents, deep water, sudden river rise or entering closed bathing areas	Difficulty breathing, unconsciousness and severe distress	Bathe only at open designated ghats, obey river warnings and use trained rescue personnel
Road traffic injuries	Congestion, unsafe crossings, fatigue and unauthorised vehicle movement	Bleeding, fractures, head injury or loss of consciousness	Use designated pedestrian routes, crossings and official transport arrangements
Burns and fire injuries	Cooking fires, unsafe electrical installations, LPG leaks or overcrowded tents	Burns, pain, blisters, smoke inhalation and breathing difficulty	Maintain fire exits, avoid unauthorised flames and report electrical or fire hazards
Head and spinal injuries	Falls, crowd pressure or road accidents	Severe headache, confusion, neck or back pain, weakness or unconsciousness	Avoid moving a person with suspected spinal injury unless there is immediate danger; call emergency services
Foot blisters and soft-tissue injuries	Long walks, unsuitable footwear, prolonged standing and wet feet	Pain, blisters, swelling and difficulty walking	Wear comfortable footwear, take rest breaks, keep feet clean and dry where possible

Environmental Exposure

Hazard / condition	How exposure occurs	Signs and symptoms	Prevention and protective measures
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke	Prolonged heat, humidity, physical exertion, dehydration and dense crowds	Heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea; confusion or collapse may indicate heatstroke	Drink safe water, rest in shade and follow heat advisories; confusion or collapse requires emergency care
Dehydration	Inadequate fluid intake, diarrhoea, vomiting and prolonged walking	Thirst, dry mouth, dizziness, reduced urination and weakness	Drink safe fluids regularly and seek care for severe symptoms
Flood and rising river levels	Heavy rainfall, upstream releases, waterlogging and overflowing drains	Risk of drowning, injuries and exposure to contaminated water	Monitor official alerts, leave riverbanks when instructed and avoid flooded routes
Landslides and slope failure	Intense rainfall, unstable slopes and erosion around hill roads	Falling rocks, slope movement, blocked roads and traumatic injuries	Follow closures and avoid steep slopes and hill trails during heavy rain
Unsafe drinking water	Microbial contamination, sewage intrusion or chemical pollution	May cause diarrhoea, vomiting or other effects depending on the contaminant; some chemical exposures cause no immediate symptoms	Use verified water sources, follow local advisories and avoid sources declared unsafe
Chemical contamination, including chromium	Contact with or ingestion of contaminated water; inhalation or skin contact depending on the chemical	Effects depend on substance, concentration and exposure route; irritation or other illness may occur	Avoid affected sources, follow official restrictions and seek medical advice after suspected exposure
Air pollution, smoke and dust	Vehicle emissions, fires, construction dust and crowded temporary sites	Cough, eye irritation, wheezing and breathlessness	Avoid smoke, improve ventilation where possible and seek care for breathing difficulty
Lightning and severe storms	Exposure in open areas, on hilltops or near water during thunderstorms	Burns, cardiac arrest, confusion or other traumatic injury	Seek shelter in a substantial building or enclosed vehicle and avoid open water and exposed areas
Poor sanitation and waste accumulation	Inadequate toilets, unsafe waste disposal and blocked drains	Increases exposure to enteric pathogens, pests and vectors	Use designated toilets, dispose of waste correctly and report overflowing drains or sanitation failures
Animal bites and rabies exposure	Bites or scratches from potentially rabid mammals, including dogs	Bite wounds; rabies symptoms may develop much later	Avoid approaching stray animals; wash bites or scratches thoroughly with soap and running water and seek urgent medical assessment for rabies prevention

Non-Communicable Diseases and Acute Medical Emergencies

Disease / condition	How it occurs or worsens	Signs and symptoms	Prevention and protective measures
Heart attack	Coronary artery blockage; exertion may trigger symptoms in susceptible people	Chest pressure or pain, sweating, nausea, breathlessness or pain in the arm or jaw	Continue prescribed treatment, avoid overexertion and call emergency services for suspected heart attack
Stroke	Interruption of blood flow to the brain or bleeding in the brain	Sudden facial droop, arm weakness, speech difficulty, loss of balance	Recognise warning signs and seek emergency care immediately
Hypertensive emergency	Severely elevated blood pressure with acute organ injury	Severe headache, chest pain, breathlessness, confusion or visual changes	Take prescribed medicines and seek urgent care for warning symptoms
Diabetes-related emergencies	Missed meals or medicines, exertion, illness, dehydration or altered food intake	Sweating, shaking, confusion, weakness or excessive thirst and urination	Carry medicines, plan meals and monitor glucose according to medical advice
Asthma attack	Respiratory infection, dust, smoke, allergens or exertion	Wheezing, cough, chest tightness and breathlessness	Carry prescribed inhalers, avoid triggers and seek urgent care if breathing difficulty is severe
Chronic respiratory disease exacerbation	Smoke, air pollution, infection and physical exertion	Increased cough, wheezing, sputum or breathlessness	Carry prescribed medicines, avoid smoke and seek care if symptoms worsen
Kidney disease complications	Dehydration, infection, missed treatment or disruption to dialysis	Reduced urine, swelling, weakness, vomiting or breathlessness	Plan medicines and treatment in advance; people requiring dialysis should coordinate care before travel
Epileptic seizure	Seizure disorder, missed medication, sleep deprivation or other triggers	Convulsions, altered awareness or temporary confusion	Take prescribed medicines, avoid known triggers and ensure companions know basic seizure first aid

Existing Health Conditions and Vulnerable Groups

Population / vulnerability	Potential risk during Simhastha	Warning signs or needs	Preventive and support measures
Infants and young children	Dehydration, infection, separation from caregivers and crowd injuries	Reduced urination, lethargy, fever, diarrhoea or breathing difficulty	Close supervision, safe food and water, identification card and prompt medical assessment
Older people	Falls, dehydration, cardiac events, medication disruption and exhaustion	Weakness, confusion, dizziness, chest pain or reduced mobility	Rest breaks, companion support, medicines, accessible transport and avoidance of excessive crowd pressure
Pregnant women	Fatigue, dehydration, falls, infection and difficulty accessing care	Bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fainting, severe headache or reduced fetal movement when applicable	Seek clinician advice before travel, carry antenatal records and identify the nearest maternity-capable facility
Persons with disabilities	Inaccessible routes, crowd pressure and difficulty evacuating	Mobility, sensory, communication or other assistance needs	Plan accessible routes, use designated assistance points and travel with a support person where needed
People with diabetes	Blood glucose fluctuations, foot injuries and dehydration	Sweating, tremors, confusion, weakness or foot wounds	Carry medicines and supplies, plan meals, inspect feet and follow individual treatment advice
People with heart disease or hypertension	Exertion, stress, heat and interruption of medication	Chest pain, severe headache, breathlessness or weakness	Carry prescriptions, avoid excessive exertion and seek care promptly for warning signs
Immunocompromised people	Greater risk of severe infection	Fever or new symptoms that may worsen quickly	Seek individual medical advice, maintain hygiene and avoid exposure when ill
People requiring regular treatment	Missed dialysis, oxygen, medicines or scheduled care	Symptoms related to treatment interruption or worsening underlying disease	Arrange treatment and transport in advance and identify an appropriate referral facility
People with mental health or psychosocial support needs	Disorientation, distress, sensory overload or interrupted care	Panic, confusion, severe distress or inability to navigate safely	Maintain companion support, identify help desks and seek trained assistance when needed