Maha Kumbh 2025 — a 45-day event billed as the biggest gathering of humans in one place began today with the first major bathing ritual or ’Shahi Snan’ on the auspicious occasion of ’Paush Purnima’ at the Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati rivers here.
In a 12-day celestial fight for possession, four drops fell to earth, in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, which host the festival every three years by rotation. The Kumbh held once every 12 years in this cycle has the prefix ‘maha’ (great) as it is considered more auspicious due to its timing and attracts the largest gathering.
”It will be a grand Maha Kumbh this time. Along with divinity and spirituality, it would also showcase modernity as this time it is going to be a ’Digi-Kumbh’ of sorts with Artificial Intelligence (AI) being tapped in a big way,” officials said.
On the ground, Prayagraj is all decked up for the grand occasion, ready to welcome saints, seers, pilgrims, and masses from across the globe, many of whom have already arrived — all driven by the common goal of getting soaked in the spiritual fervour.
The Kumbhs are a big test for authorities to showcase India’s ability to organise and manage the movement of millions of people and retain the ancient festival’s sanctity.
A sprawling 4,000 hectares of open land along the banks of the rivers has been converted into a temporary city to house the visitors in 150,000 tents and comes equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 restrooms and 99 parking lots.
Authorities are also installing up to 450,000 new electricity connections, with the Kumbh expected to drain more power than what 100,000 urban apartments in the region consume in a month.
Indian Railways has introduced 98 special trains that will make 3,300 trips during the festival to transport visitors besides regular trains that connect Prayagraj.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said during his one-of-the-many visits to Prayagraj that the Maha Kumbh, to be held from January 13 to February 26, will elevate India’s ancient cultural and religious traditions to global prominence.
Calling the event a testament to India’s rich spiritual and cultural legacy, Adityanath said, ”Maha Kumbh offers people from across the globe a chance to reconnect with their ancient traditions and cultural roots. The latest edition of the Maha Kumbh will be a grand, divine, and digitally advanced event.” ”Spanning 10,000 acres, the event will set an exemplary standard for cleanliness, security, and modernity. To enhance the convenience of devotees, a digital tourist map will facilitate monitoring the cleanliness of toilets, while an AI-powered security system integrated with smartphones will ensure safety,” the chief minister said.
He also said the Maha Kumbh is not merely a religious event, but a symbol of social and spiritual unity.
The event will transform (Mahakumbh Nagar) into the world’s largest temporary city, accommodating 50 lakh to 1 crore devotees at any given time, Adityanath said.
According to Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, more than 55 police stations have been set up along with the deployment of 45,000 police personnel for the fair. Projects have also been sanctioned to monitor social media continuously to guard against any mischief, he said.
Thirteen Akharas of seers from different sects are participating in this Maha Kumbh, drawing the attention of one and all, including those wanting to learn about the timeless Indian spiritual beliefs.
The walls of different offices in Prayagraj have been adorned with drawings depicting different aspects of Hinduism, gods and goddesses, and prominent events mentioned in the religious texts.
The crossroads of the city have also been given a major facelift, all decked up with various religious objects such as the ’kalash’ (pitcher), conch shell, and various positions of the ‘Surya Namaskaar’ yogic practice. Barricades have been put up at various crossroads and tri-sections for better crowd management.
As many as 30 pontoon bridges, both in the Sangam area and Phaphamau, have also been readied to facilitate the movement of people from one end of the confluence to the other.
Huge gates have also been installed at some of the entry points to welcome the devotees into the holy city.
This time the Maha Kumbh Mela assumes special significance as it is the first Kumbh being held after the ‘Pran Pratistha’ of Lord Ram in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024.
Currently, the first anniversary celebrations of the consecration ceremony are underway in Ayodhya.
As always, the Akhara area is dotted by camps of various sects, adorned with vibrant decorations. However, the entry gates are stealing the spotlight this time with their unique and thematic designs.
The themed gates across the Mela area go beyond their visual appeal by serving as markers of identity, helping pilgrims locate and reach specific areas.
”Located near Jhunsi, these gates come in various designs, including aeroplane models, shivlings and crowns, enhancing the overall grandeur of the camps,” the UP government said in a statement.
A day before Paush Purnima, the banks of the Sangam witnessed an overwhelming surge of faith on Sunday as lakhs of devotees — youth, elderly as well as children — gathered to take a holy dip in the sacred waters, the statement said.
The occasion also coincided with the National Youth Day, further energising the youth, who embraced the festival as an opportunity to connect with their roots and traditions, it said. Senior officials, including DIG Vaibhav Krishna and SSP Rajesh Dwivedi, are overseeing the arrangements, supported by an augmented police force providing real-time updates.
In the digital era, Maha Kumbh is also trending on social media, with devotees sharing their experiences by posting videos and pictures, with many offering their families virtual ‘darshan’ of Ganga via video call.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday said that more than 1.5 million foreign tourists are expected to visit the Maha Kumbh.
The Tourism Ministry has established a tent city offering facilities such as Ayurveda, Yoga, and Panchakarma to accommodate them, he said.
Addressing the inaugural event of ‘Kalagram’, a centre showcasing Indian cultural heritage and spread over 10 acres in Sector 7 of Nagvasuki area, Shekhawat described the Maha Kumbh as the world’s largest fair that embodies India’s unity in diversity.
He said that over 1.5 million foreign tourists are expected to attend the Maha Kumbh this year.
With inputs from agencies.
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