Research Publications on Kumbh Mela: A Bibliometric and Altmetric Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the research landscape of “Kumbh Mela” using bibliometric and altmetric analyses. The Scopus database was used to identify documents related to “Kumbh Mela”, while the Altmetric Explorer database was employed to retrieve the corresponding altmetric data of the documents. For data analysis, MS Excel 2021, VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, and JAMOVI were utilised. Bibliometric analysis revealed a growing trend in research output, with significant peaks in 2020 and 2024. The subject-wise distribution highlighted Medicine, Social Sciences, and Engineering as the most dominant fields. Author’s keyword analysis revealed interdisciplinary research themes, including public health, environmental science, urban planning, and religious tourism. Collaboration networks identified key authors, institutions, and funding agencies, with the “Indian Institute of Science” emerging as the most prolific contributor. International collaboration was evident, particularly between India and nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia. Altmetric analysis revealed a moderate public engagement, with social media (especially X) playing a dominant role. News articles, blogs, and Wikipedia citations also contributed, though policy mentions were minimal. Spearman’s correlation test revealed a significant positive association between AAS and citation count, indicating a link between altmetric attention and scholarly impact. This study underscores the interdisciplinary and international scope of “Kumbh Mela” research while highlighting the role of altmetrics in measuring public engagement. Scholars can use the findings of this study to identify well-explored areas, research gaps, active institutions, and leading authors in the field. Funding agencies can utilise this information to identify research focus areas and allocate funds to appropriate institutions and scholars accordingly.