Kumbh Mela begins
49-day religious festival to attract 150 million
Followers from across the world are gathering in India for the festival of Kumbh Mela, a mix of spirituality, politics and tourism that begins today, garnering extra attention ahead of a general election this year. During the eight-week festival, at Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, authorities expect up to 150 million people, including a million foreign visitors, to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and a mythical third river, the Saraswati.
Devout Hindus believe that bathing in the waters of the Ganges cleanses people of sins and bathing at the time of the Kumbh Mela, or the “festival of the pot”, brings salvation from the cycle of life and death.
Kumbh Mela has been inscribed on the list of the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by Unesco and representatives from 192 nations have endorsed their participation.
Sitting in his akhara (camp) an elderly seer, Girijanand, who has attended several Kumbh Melas, says this year’s event will be a magnum opus.
“The magnitude of the event is out of this world, this time. The amount of work and effort put into organising it is worthy of a praise,” he says, adding that it can be a huge learning experience for the youth to understand culture and tradition.
His words echo the UP government’s spending spree as the budget for the festival has gone up from Rs13 billion (Dh673 million) to Rs42 billion. Even the size of the fair ground has increased from 20 kilometres to 32km.
That apart, amenities like hospitals, air and river ambulances will cater to the health needs of saints and pilgrims. Among the many firsts, this Kumbh will have an eco-friendly deepwater barricading of plastic instead of wood.
Known as the festival of the sacred pitcher, the 48-day event starting January 15 will showcase science of astronomy, astrology, spirituality and ritualistic traditions, as devotees bathe at the Triveni Sangam — the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mystical Saraswati to cleanse their wrongdoings and gain “moksha” or freedom from the mortal world.
Sanjay Rai, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations Department, Uttar Pradesh, says, “The enthusiasm over Kumbh Mela is palpable. The ‘Paint My City’ concept has turned Prayagraj into an outdoor art gallery. Not only official buildings, but also homes and trees lining the streets have been painted in vivid colours. Kumbh is the biggest temporary city of the world because of the sheer number of people living in it and the massive infrastructure.
Case study for pop-up city
“Harvard University considers it to be a case study for a concept that they refer to as a pop-up mega city. Kumbh provides a forum for both individual and collective expressions of faith as both saints and pilgrims converge from all parts of India and abroad,” he says.
The fair is marked by the construction of a massive tented township, including cottages, huts, platforms, police stations and administrative and security measures.
The entire area has been divided into 20 sectors, with each having a different layout. These will comprise akharas, convention halls, exhibitions, yoga centres, food courts, amusement parks, merchandising kiosks, laser shows, a tent colony and tent city.
While the Kumbh in 2013 had only 34,000 toilets, this year, 125,000 toilets and 20,000 dustbins have been set up, which will be tended to by over 15,000 sanitation workers. Sunil Kumar, in charge of sanitation, explains, “To keep the river clean, the National Green Tribunal has banned commercial activity in certain areas. The state government also closed all tanneries in adjoining Kanpur and Unnao areas.”
Close to the tent city venue; giant arched gateways have been constructed, giving an impression of a movie set where a historical film is being shot. The man in charge is art director Anant Baburao Shinde, a Bollywood veteran of 40 years. “We are creating a design of the Samundra Manthan (churning of the ocean) and the 14 ratnas (jewels) that emerged from it,” he briefs.
Shinde, who has worked with Bollywood icons including Dilip Kumar and Gulzar, has also designed paintings and figurines on various themes including: Beti Bachao (save the girl child) and Save Trees.