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Shweta Rohira did not want to return from Ardh Kumbh
She grew up hearing stories and reading about Kumbh Mela and it took no time for actor, writer, and painter Shweta Rohira to fall in love with it. So much so that she secretly nurtured the dream of attending one some day. This year, she finally got the opportunity to visit the Prayagraj Ardh Kumbh Mela which turned out to be one of the “best experiences” of her life.
Shweta , who is actor Salman Khan’s rakhi sister, shares, “I was supposed to stay there for two days, but ended up extending my visit by three more days.”
“I called my mom to inform her about my plans and said, ‘Mom, I’m going to come back after a few days because I’m enlightened’ and she was like ‘Stop being so filmy’,” laughs Shweta, who praises the government for their Swachh Kumbh initiative.
“All credit goes to [Narendra] Modiji... People were giving free chai to anyone seen picking up litter. It felt nice to just walk around; the walls were beautifully painted, the roads were clean, the food was good and the Ganga was so clean. Years ago when I had visited Varanasi, it was painful to see how polluted the river was. This time, the Triveni Sangam was also beautiful; I even took a boat there for the holy dip...”
Shweta shares that she also watched films being screened at the Akbar Fort. “Every evening, animated films were screened about the Kumbh Mela and on one of the days, I just sat there and enjoyed the experience,” shares Shweta, who plans to visit the next Ardh Kumbh, too.