At ₹4,200 cr, this year’s mela costliest
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated ₹4,200 crore for the Kumbh Mela being held in the Sangam city, which is over thrice the budget of the Maha Kumbh in 2013, making the mega pilgrimage perhaps the costliest ever.
“The UP government has allocated ₹4,200 crore for 2019 Kumbh Mela. The previous state government had spent around ₹1,300 crore for the Maha Kumbh, which was held in 2013,” state finance minister Rajesh Agarwal told PTI. He said apart from this, some other departments had also allocated funds for the mega event. Agarwal further said this year’s Kumbh Mela is spread over an area of 3,20 0 hectare as compared to 1,600 hectare area in the previous melas.
“The endeavour of the UP government has always been to enhance the facilities for the public and establishing facilities at the ground level has been a big task,” the minister said. The Kumbh Mela is anchored in Hindu mythology. It is the largest public gathering and collective act of faith anywhere in the world. Ardh Kumbh is held in every six years, while the Kumbh Mela comes after 12 years.
The Yogi Adityanath government has renamed Ardh Kumbh as Kumbh and the Kumbh as Maha Kumbh.
The mela draws tens of millions of pilgrims over the course of 49 days to bathe at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river. The congregation includes ascetics, saints, sadhus, sadhvis, kalpvasis and pilgrims from all walks of life.
In all, there are six auspicious bathing dates in this Kumbh - Makar Sankranti (January 15), Paush Poornima (January 21), Mauni Amawasya (February 4), Basant Panchami (February 10), Maghi Poornima (February 19) and Mahashivratri (March 4).