India, July 9 -- This year's Ashadhi Wari has officially set a new attendance record, with AI-powered drones deployed for the first time to estimate the number of pilgrims. According to Solapur rural police, the footfall on Ashadhi Ekadashi was between 27 and 28 lakh, captured through drone surveillance from 4 am to midnight on Sunday.

To ensure accuracy, the police had divided a 65-acre area in Pandharpur into four sectors and deployed six AI-enabled drones to cover key zones, including bridges, ghat sections, the pradakshina path, and temple premises. The drones captured real-time footage which was then processed to generate an estimated headcount.

"At certain points, over 2,000 devotees were seen crossing the entry bridges per minute...