As per tradition after 12 years India held Mahakumbh, the world’s largest spiritual congregation that has been attracting pilgrims from across the globe.
Rohit Kumar is a four-wheeler taxi driver in Prayagraj city of Uttar Pradesh in northern India where Mahakumbh, the largest spiritual gathering of Hindus has being held from January 13rd to February 26th this year.
Over 400 million people had visited 45 days event in Prayagraj, located around 435 miles from Delhi, the nation’s capital, to take a dip in the holy Ganges river located at Sangam (confluence) of three rivers.
It is believed in Hindu mythology that the dip in the river cleanses the sins and also helps in spiritual liberation.
Rohit says that the Mahakumbh has not only made him more spiritual but have also offered livelihood to him – “The influx of pilgrims has increased drastically as people are coming from various parts of India and even outside to attend the mega event. I take the pilgrims every day to the fairground on my car where they take a bath in the river and offer prayers. The daily visits to the ground have made me more spiritual and I have decided to increase my visit to temples besides it has also added to my income,” he said while looking for passengers in the ground.
Raju Roy, 34, who sells fruits on his cart, said that his income has increased five times in the fair, “I usually earn $10 each day but the income has increased to $50 nowadays thanks to the thousands of people who are coming to attend the mahakumbh every day.”
Mahakumbh is the world’s largest religious gathering of Hindus that is held after every 12 years in India in the four sacred locations of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain on rotational basis depending upon the alignment of planets with the stars.
According to Hindu mythology, the festival is organized to celebrate the split of elixir of immortality (amrit) that fell on four places in India while the gods were protecting the pot containing the elixir from the demons.
The Kumbh Mela, named an “intangible cultural heritage” by the Unesco is the world’s largest peaceful gathering.
The fair ground site spans about 16 miles (approx.) divided into 25 sectors and featuring around 50 bathing ghats along the banks of the river where temporary tents have been erected for the accommodation of monks and devotees.
Moreover, toilets, waste management, drainage and potable water have been arranged for pilgrims.
The Indian and local government has collectively pumped in $1.055 billion for the mega event which is expected to generate a revenue of $ 2.31 trillion for the government due to the massive footfall of the tourists.
“The government has made adequate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the event. We have built luxury cottages, food courts, and also offering helicopter services to the pilgrims in order to help them experience the grandeur of the event. Besides, promotions have been also done in various airports across India to draw more pilgrims to the holy city,” said Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Principal Secretary, Uttar Pradesh department of tourism.
Devotees visiting the ground sounded impressive with the arrangements, “The government has made good arrangements for food and accommodation as it is not easy to manage such a huge crowd for continuous 45 days. It looks so divine to witness hundreds of people taking the dip in river to wash their sins and drift towards spirituality,” said Sujay Verma, 44, a software engineer who had come to attend the mahakumbh along with his family.
Even the foreign tourists were completely spellbound with the grand festival, “I have never seen something like this before as thousands of ash smeared sadhus (monks) are seen offering prayers and taking a dip in the river. This is once in a life- time opportunity and cannot be missed at any cost. It is a visual extravaganza for the visitors,” said Anthony Craw, 35, a tourist from Britain.
The government has made use of groundbreaking technology to offer an innovative and soothing experience for the pilgrims.
“Devotees can navigate the expansive fairground area effortlessly with the help of Google Maps integration. The Key locations, including river banks, temples and saints’ camps, are mapped for real-time guidance, making iconic spots like the easily accessible. The virtual reality stalls provide panoramic views of grand events while drone shows narrate tales of our mythological stories. These captivating visual spectacles combine religion, culture, and cutting-edge technology,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.
“Moreover advanced Ai-driven facial recognition cameras ensure 24/7 surveillance, while a Digital lost and found centre leverages social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to reunite families. The multilingual Ai chatbot offers real-time assistance and navigation in 11 languages, including Hindi, English, and nine other regional languages, ensuring accessibility for all,” he added.
Besides, a robust cyber security team is established to provide cyber security to the devotees coming from all over the world.
On the 29th of January, a stampede occurred at the fairground due to overcrowding that reportedly killed 30 pilgrims while injuring several others.
A section of devotees, however, complained of lack of hygiene and unclean toilets, “The fair is spread over a massive open area where the government has constructed makeshift toilets for visitors. But the toilets are dirty and filled with human waste. The putrid smell makes it difficult to even stand there for a minute,” said Rahul Sinha, 55, a devotee.
“The situation is worse for devotees like us who suffer from diabetes that causes frequent urination. The government should look into it,” he added.
As the dusk surrounds the sky, several devotees are seen taking a dip in the river and offering prayers while the rays of the setting sun filling their mind and environment with divinity.
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