Monday, January 13, marked the first day of 45-day-long Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, listed by UNESCO as the largest peaceful religious congregation of pilgrims on earth, where devotees walk miles to take a dip at ‘Sangam’, the convergence of the holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. The fair is visited by Hindu ascetics, saints, ash-smeared Naga Sadhus, skeleton-donning Aghoris and other pilgrims. It is expected to have a footfall of 450 million this year, nearly twice the population of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous State.
Kumbh, derived from a Sanskrit word which means a pitcher, is rotationally held every three years at the four riverside cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. Its schedule is based on the planetary alignments, mainly of that of Sun and Jupiter. The Ardh (half) Kumbh is held every six years at Haridwar and Prayagraj while the Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place in all four cities, every 12 years. The Maha Kumbh happens after 12 Purna Kumbhs in Prayagraj, once in 144 years and is considered the most auspicious.
The mythological beliefs say that drops of Amrit (essence of immortality) were spilled at these sites from an urn which came out during the Samudra Mantha (churning of the ocean) done by the gods and demons.
The central ritual of the fair remains bathing in icy cold waters of the sacred rivers where millions immerse themselves with the belief that the act will cleanse them of their sins and liberate them from the cycle of birth and death and will attain spiritual liberation.
A gathering of ascetics
Religious texts also link Kumbh Mela’s origins to the 8th-century philosopher, Adi Shankaracharya, who established this practice of gatherings of ascetics from across the country, for discussion on religion. It was Shankaracharya who instituted the monastery system and the 13 Akharas (warrior-saint sects) — Nirvani, Atal, Niranjani, Anand, Juna, Awahan and Agni, Nirmohi, Digambar Ani and Nirvani Ani, the two Udasin Akharas (Naya and Bada) and the Nirmala Akhara. The saints from these sects, who sport weapons such as tridents, swords, and lances, are the main attraction at the Kumbh.
The latest in the line of Akharas is the Kinnar (transgender) Akhara, established in 2015 by transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi. The Akhara is still competing for space between the community of religious leaders but remains one of the most visited Akharas in Kumbh.
The Akharas use the fair as an opportunity to elect their chiefs and divide powers at its council meeting called the Dharam Sansad. This year, the meeting, scheduled on January 27, may pass a proposal for the formation of a ‘Sanatan Board’ (a board dedicated to safeguard the Hindu religious sites), which will be sent to the government with a request for implementation.
The seers have already placed wishes such as no entry for Muslims and non-Hindus at the Kumbh, which was partially supported by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who says that those who don’t believe in Sanatan Dharma should not visit the event.
Mahatma Gandhi had visited the Kumbh Mela in 1918. Political parties today capitalise on this event to win over Hindus. The fair was also used by the Vishwa Hindu Parishd to chalk out the blueprint for the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya in 1989.
With the BJP being in power at the Centre and State, this year’s Kumbh is one of the most well-funded religious gatherings being held in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dubbed it as “A Maha Yagya of Unity”, as the Centre approved a special grant of ₹2,100 crore for it. About ₹7,500 crore was devoted to ensure proper logistics to host millions.
A sprawling tent city has been carved out within the limits of Prayagraj district, spread across an approximately 4,000-hectare area and divided in 25 sectors, 12 ghats for bathing. A large group of bureaucrats were deployed at the site to ensure smooth management of the fair. The airport was expanded to accommodate more flights while the Indian Railways has announced that it will run 13,000 trains to Prayagraj to ensure maximum devotees arrive at the Kumbh putting immense pressure on the town which exceeds its carrying capacity every time the fair is organised. In the 2019 Kumbh, this gathering generated 18,000 metric tonnes of solid waste.
Approximately 1,60,000 tent shelters have been constructed this time to accommodate 15-20 lakh Kalpwasis — devotees who spend around a month in the fair living a minimalistic life. Although the tents are free for the Kalpwasis, they do bear the brunt of rocketing price of groceries, travel and other needs.
Apart from the cubical-shaped hiking tents for Kalpwasis, the government has also set aside luxury cottages across the Sangam bank to drive tourism. These cottages cost ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh per night.
With 1,50,000 toilets, deployment of police offices, hospitals, banks, and eateries, the State has not left any stone unturned to make the Maha Kumbh an event like never before.
The fair has gigantic posters of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, advertising schemes and achievements of the BJP government, including the LPG schemes, Swachh Bharat, solar energy, among others.
Business opportunities
The fair presents business opportunities to both local traders as well as multinationals who set up kiosks to expand businesses. From Domino’s pizza to Cafe Coffee Day, from RBI to LIC and from medicines to clothes, agriculture products and gadgets, the Maha Kumbh has a stall selling everything. The State has projected to generate up to ₹2 lakh crore from this 45-day long gathering, which will end on February 26.
With millions gathering at the river banks, the Kumbh Melas had seen accidents such as stampedes in the past, which led to the deaths of hundreds of pilgrims. With the humongous footfall at the site, incidents of missing cases too have become synonymous with the fair. Several Bollywood movies have drawn their plots from the Kumbh where heroes get separated from families at the fair and then dramatically reunited decades later.
After the end of the gathering, Sangam city will once again turn into a barren land, which will be used by the farmers to grow melons and children to play, leaving the sand banks to wait for another Kumbh to feel lively again.
The gist
Kumbh, derived from a Sanskrit word which means a pitcher, is rotationally held every three years at the four riverside cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik
The Ardh (half) Kumbh is held every six years at Haridwar and Prayagraj while the Purna (complete) Kumbh takes place in all four cities, every 12 years
The Maha Kumbh happens after 12 Purna Kumbhs in Prayagraj, once in 144 years and is considered the most auspicious
Published – January 19, 2025 01:58 am IST
