Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world. The Kumbh going on in the city of Prayagraj now will have an estimate of more than 12 crore pilgrims taking the holy dip. No event in the world, be it religious, entertainment, or otherwise can match the scale of Kumbh. Kumbh Mela is held in four places – Haridwar, Prayagraj, Nashik, and Ujjain. It is held in the Sangam of rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, and Saraswathi. There are several references of the Kumbh Mela in the Hindu scriptures and the history. There are mythological, spiritual, astronomy, social and cultural aspects that make the Kumbh a grand festival.
Let us go into the details of the massive nature of the Kumbh so well organized at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. UNESCO has declared the event Intangible Cultural Heritage. The following list will give you an idea of the perfectly organized city to accommodate the world’s biggest gathering.
- Kumbh Mela(ardh) in Prayagraj is held once every 12 years.
- Infrastructure – Over 4200 premium tents, 10000 policemen, 300 KM of roads, and 1.2Lakh toilets built.
- A temporary town is built that spreads over 32 square kilometers.
- 5000 tons of rice, 7800 tons of wheat flour and 3100 tons of sugar allocated by the government.
- 100 bedded hospital for health emergencies.
Politicising Kumbh Mela
Kumbh also attracts a lot of academic, social, cultural and political studies from different parts of the world.
- Diverting the spiritual significance of the Mela and calling it a superstition. Kumbh has deep spiritual significance in Hinduism. The event is held uninterruptedly from at least 10000 years.
- Kumbh has been highlighted for political benefits – Leftists and Missionaries have been continuously trying to influence the Kumbh Mela and undermine the importance since a long time.
- Highlighting environmental pollution, public health concern and infrastructure has been a practice by several anti-Hindu forces.
- Questioning the event and linking it with the unemployment has begun in the recent past.
- Creating unrest with communal and anti-religion approaches.
- Missionaries entering the Kumbh Mela and converting the non-believers.
- Designing academic and research studies that undermine the significance and highlight the simple issues.
- Blaming the expenditure of the state government with a communal label to the BJP government.
Let us try and realize the spiritual significance of the Kumbh Mela and work towards celebrating an ancient event of the massive scale in this secular world. Do not forget to take the holy dip whenever you get a chance.
