Prayagraj (India), 23 January: The world-famous Mahakumbha Mela is currently underway in Prayagraj, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department of India has stated that more than 10 million people have bathed on the first day of the Kumbha Mela, which is held every 12 years in Prayagraj, India.
The Kumbha Mela, which will begin on Magh 1 and run for 45 days, is where Hindus bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, considered the holiest rivers in India. The department has estimated that 450 million pilgrims will attend the fair. Millions of pilgrims from various countries, including India and Nepal, come to Prayagraj, the holy land of Hindus, to take a dip in the Maha Kumbha.
Director General of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, Isha Priya, called on everyone to enjoy the wonderful Mahakumbha Mela in Prayagraj, stating that the Mahakumbha Mela, which is being held after 144 years, has special significance. She expressed her belief that the Mahakumbha Mela will be useful for promoting cross-border religious tourism.
The excitement of the fair
Necessary security arrangements have been made for the pilgrims who come to bathe in the fair. The Indian government has said that more than 25,000 security personnel have been mobilized in view of the fair. As an attraction of the fair, informative banners, posters and twinkling lights have been put up at the crossroads of Allahabad roads. Temporary ‘tent houses’ with standard facilities have been constructed for the pilgrims on the right and left banks at the confluence of the three rivers. At night, twinkling lights in the tent house area have further enhanced the splendor of the fair.
There are temporary camps and health camps for accommodation at the fair. More than one lakh tents have been set up. The different attractions of Naga Baba and Aghori Baba are visible at the fair. Keeping in mind the security of the fair, more than 25 thousand CCTV cameras have been installed under the river water. According to Indian media reports, more than seven thousand buses have been arranged from Prayagraj Airport for the convenience of pilgrims reaching the fair. Arrangements have been made for 550 shuttle buses, more than 13 thousand rickshaws, 13 thousand trains, and 3 thousand special trains.
Similarly, 43 temporary hospitals have been set up in the fair area. There is a provision of 6,000 beds, both government and private. Arrangements have been made for road ambulances including air ambulances. Arrangements have also been made for observing the fair from helicopters. It is reported that Indian President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also visit the Mahakumbha Mela.
More than 100 million people bathed
Indian news agencies have reported that more than 100 million people have taken a holy dip in the Mahakumbha Mela so far. Around 10 million devotees are reaching the Mahakumbha Mela every day. Today, on the 10th day of the fair, there is a huge crowd of pilgrims.
t is believed that bathing in the confluence of holy rivers cleanses sins and purifies the soul. It is said that the procession of devotees participating in the fair can be seen from space. Indian media has reported that 10 to 15 million devotees bathe in the Ganges daily.
Astrologers have fixed the dates and auspicious times for bathing based on certain planets and constellations. Based on that, it is said that five days other than Monday are auspicious for bathing. Kumbha Mela is a great bathing festival of Hindus. Although the scriptures have mentioned that this fair can be held in a total of 12 places on earth, only five places have been discovered so far. Of these five places, four are held in India every three years, while one Kumbh Mela site is in Nepal. The places where Kumbha Mela is held are Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Nashik (Maharashtra), Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and Chatradham (Barah Kshetra, Sunsari, Nepal).
what is mahakumbha mela
This fair is held at one place every 12 years. The Kumbha Mela is described in all the scriptures of Hinduism. According to religious texts, it is believed that a person who bathes in the Kumbha will be freed from all sins and become a part of the merits. In the context of the four Kumbha Melas in India, when the Sun and Moon are in the same zodiac sign, Jupiter is in Taurus, and Kumbha Sankranti falls between Maun Amavasya and Sri Panchami, Mahakumbha Yoga occurs and this is called Mahakumbha.
The Kumbh Mela used to be held in three places in India. However, since 1st April 2059, it has also been held in Chataradham in Sunsari district of Nepal.
‘Digital’ Maha Kumbha
According to the Ministry of Culture of India, the Mahakumbha Mela has also made extensive use of science and technology. The Prayagraj Mahakumbha is set to be an extraordinary blend of spirituality and innovation. From embracing modern technology to high-tech security measures, digital land ‘allotments’ and ‘immersive virtual’ reality experiences, the Mahakumbha 2025 has become a model of harmony between Mahakumbha tradition and technology with a comprehensive approach to infrastructure, security and digital services for devotees. Special cyber security arrangements have been initiated for the safety of devotees.
Cyber ​​security
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to use every platform including print, digital and social media. They are investigating gangs exploiting platforms like AI, Facebook, X and Instagram. A mobile cyber team has also been deployed for a massive public awareness campaign.
Akash Deep, Additional Strategic Officer of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, said that the Prayagraj Mahakumbha has set a historical record and will help in increasing religious tourism. Santosh Kumar Singh, President of the Banarasi Tourism Guild, called on Hindu Nepali tourists to participate in the Kumbha Mela, which will be held after 12 years. Kaushalendra Singh, General Secretary of the Agra Travel Agents Association, said that the Mahakumbha Mela will help in promoting regional religious tourism.
It is customary for Mahamandaleshwar to take a royal bath on the first day of the Mahakumbha Mela, Makar Sankranti. It is also customary to take a royal bath on Sri Panchami, Shivaratri and Purnima. The organizers say that due to the royal bath on that day, there will be some inconvenience for the general devotees for some time. On other days, various ghats have been constructed so that devotees can easily take a Mahakumbha bath, and there are sufficient motorboats and boats available to reach the ghats(cremation site).
The history of Mahakumbh is old. According to some texts, the first Mahakumbha Mela is believed to have been organized in Satyayug. It was started by Shankaracharya. According to experts, the tradition of Kumbha is thousands of years old.
A significant number of pilgrims from Nepal are also going to the Mahakumbh Mela. Nepalese people have gone to Prayagraj for a bath in groups, with friends, families and friends. During the churning of the ocean, the gods and demons were fighting to get nectar, during which Jayanta, the son of Lord Indra, ran away with the nectar pot, after which the demons also followed Jayanta to get the urn. At this time, a terrible battle took place between the demons and the gods. When Jayanta ran away with the nectar pot, some drops of the nectar pot fell in four places, where the Mahakumbha is now organized. Since then, Kumbha Mela has been organized at intervals of 12-12 years in Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nashik, and Haridwar.
