Millions gather for ‘Kumbh Mela’ festival

ALLAHABAD: Hindu devotees began gathering yesterday in northern India for the world’s largest religious festival, with millions of pilgrims travelling to bathe in holy rivers for the spectacular “Kumbh Mela”. State authorities in Uttar Pradesh are expecting 12 million visitors to descend on Allahabad for the centuries-old festival, which officially begins tomorrow and continues until early March. The ancient city rises alongside the banks of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, and the meeting point of the three rivers is considered highly sacred in Hinduism. Hindu devotees believe bathing there during the Kumbh Mela festival will help cleanse their sins and free their souls from the continuous cycle of death and rebirth. Two days before the gigantic bathing ritual begins, naked holy men wandered the banks smeared in ash, offering blessings for devotees. “We help devotees get rid of their pains and troubles through our blessings, sacred ash, yoga, knowledge and wisdom,” said Prahlad Puri, a holy man with his long knotted hair tied in a bun. “We are here to distribute food and to serve the poor.” According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons fought a war over a sacred pitcher, or “kumbh”, which contains the nectar of immortality. During the tussle, a few drops fell onto the earth at four different locations — one of the locations being Allahabad. The historic city was recently renamed Prayagraj by the state’s conservative Hindu government. However, the city is still widely known and referred to as Allahabad, the name it was given by Muslim rulers that reigned in the area hundreds of years ago. The Kumbh Mela festival, which runs until March 4, has been recognised as an intangible cultural heritage by Unesco in 2017.