India’s Mahu Kumbh Mela festival expects 400 million people

15 hrs ago

Kennedy Felton Lifestyle Correspondent

By Kennedy Felton (Lifestyle Correspondent), Brock Koller (Senior Producer)

The Maha Kumbh Mela, translated as the festival of the sacred pitcher, which began Monday, Jan. 13, is touted as the world’s largest religious gathering. It is expected to bring together 400 million people in India over the next six weeks.

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Hindu pilgrims flock to the northern city of Prayagraj in the Uttar Pradesh state. There they will bathe in the confluence of three sacred rivers: the Ganges or Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, where a dip in the waters is believed to cleanse pilgrims of their past sins and move them closer to “spiritual liberation.” Around 15 million are said to have taken a dip on the first day alone.

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The Kumbh Mela occurs every three years, rotating between four different cities. However, it’s only every 12 years that the festival has its largest gathering, and carries the prefix “maha” — the Hindi word for “great.”

The festival is rooted in Hindu tradition. The story says that the god Vishnu fought off demons for a golden pitcher, which contained the nectar of immortality. Hindus believe that some of that nectar dripped into the four cities where celebrations are held.

“I’m excited but also humbled by this because it is a very profound moment. I mean, it’s not swimming, you know,” Anthony Thompson, a visitor from London, said. “This is something much more serious, much more elemental, essential for the spirit and so it’s an important moment.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited everyone from around the world to come to Prayagraj. It was his government in 2018 that changed the city’s name as part of Modi’s efforts to make India a destination for the Hindu faith.

The Uttar Pradesh state has allocated more than $765 million for this year’s gathering. The city of Prayagraj, already home to 6 million people, is being outfitted with a temporary tent city along the banks of the rivers to accommodate the millions of visitors.

The tent city consists of 160,000 tents, 150,000 toilets, 3,000 kitchens, a 776-mile drinking water pipeline, 11 hospitals and its own roads and housing. The tent city is divided into 25 sections and covers 15 square miles.

The event will be a test for local security, with about 50,000 personnel stationed throughout Prayagraj. More than 2,700 security cameras powered by artificial intelligence are keeping a close watch on the area, as well.

There are nearly 100 special trains that will be making roughly 3,000 trips transporting pilgrims to the festival.

To put in perspective just how massive this festival is, this year’s Super Bowl is taking place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The maximum capacity for the stadium is 83,000.

Tags: Hinduism, inauguration, India, Narendra Modi, Religion, Super Bowl

[KENNEDY FELTON]

THERE IS LIKELY TO BE A LOT OF CHATTER OVER CROWD SIZE THIS TIME OF YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES — BETWEEN THE INAUGURATION AND THE SUPER BOWL – THESE EVENTS ALWAYS ATTRACT A MASSIVE GATHERING.

BUT NOTHING LIKE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN INDIA.

THE MAHA KUMBH MELA — TRANSLATED TO THE FESTIVAL OF THE SACRED PITCHER – IS TOUTED AS THE WORLD’S LARGEST RELIGIOUS GATHERING — BRINGING TOGETHER 400 MILLION PEOPLE.

THE 6-WEEK FESTIVAL BEGAN MONDAY WITH HINDU PILGRIMS FLOCKING TO THE NORTHERN CITY OF PRAYAGRAJ IN THE UTTAR PRADESH STATE.

THERE THEY WILL BATHE IN THE CONFLUENCE OF THREE SACRED RIVERS – THE GANGES OR GANGA, THE YAMUNA AND THE MYTHICAL SARASWATI WHERE A DIP IN THE WATERS IS BELIEVED TO CLEANSE PILGRIMS OF THEIR PAST SINS AND MOVE THEM CLOSER TO “SPIRITUAL LIBERATION.” 15 MILLION ARE SAID TO HAVE TAKEN A DIP ON MONDAY ALONE.

WHILE THE KUMBH MELA OCCURS EVERY THREE YEARS – ROTATING BETWEEN FOUR DIFFERENT CITIES – IT’S ONLY EVERY 12 YEARS THAT THE FESTIVAL HAS ITS LARGEST GATHERING – AND CARRIES THE PREFIX “MAHA” – THE HINDI WORD FOR “GREAT.”

THE FESTIVAL IS ROOTED IN HINDU TRADITION. THE STORY OF THE GOD VISHNU FIGHTING OFF DEMONS FOR A GOLDEN PITCHER CONTAINING THE NECTAR OF IMMORTALITY

– WITH THE BELIEF THAT SOME OF THAT NECTAR DRIPPED INTO THE FOUR CITIES.

[ANTHONY THOMPSON | VISITOR FROM LONDON]

“I’m excited but also humbled by this because it is a very profound moment. I mean, it’s not swimming, you know. This is something much more serious, much more elemental, essential for the spirit and so it’s an important moment.”

[KENNEDY]

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI HAS INVITED EVERYONE FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO COME TO PRAYAGRAJ. IT WAS HIS GOVERNMENT IN 2018 THAT CHANGED THE CITY’S NAME AS PART OF MODI’S EFFORTS TO MAKE INDIA A DESTINATION FOR THE HINDU FAITH.

THE UTTAR PRADESH STATE HAS ALLOCATED MORE THAN 765 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS YEAR’S GATHERING.

THE CITY OF PRAYAGRAJ – ALREADY HOME TO 6 MILLION PEOPLE – IS BEING OUTFITTED WITH A TEMPORARY TENT CITY ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RIVERS TO ACCOMMODATE THE MILLIONS OF VISITORS.

THE TENT CITY CONSISTS OF 160 THOUSAND TENTS, 150 THOUSAND TOILETS, 3 THOUSAND KITCHENS, A 776-MILE DRINKING WATER PIPELINE, 11 HOSPITALS AND ITS OWN ROADS AND HOUSING. THE TENT CITY IS DIVIDED INTO 25 SECTIONS AND COVERS 15 SQUARE MILES.

THE EVENT WILL BE A TEST FOR THE LOCAL SECURITY – ABOUT 50 THOUSAND PERSONNEL ARE STATIONED THROUGHOUT PRAYAGRAJ – ALONG WITH MORE THAN 2,700 SECURITY CAMERAS POWERED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

AND THERE ARE NEARLY 100 SPECIAL TRAINS MAKING ROUGHLY 3,000 TRIPS TRANSPORTING PILGRIMS TO THE FESTIVAL.

TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE JUST HOW MASSIVE THIS FESTIVAL IS – THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL IS TAKING PLACE AT THE CAESARS SUPERDOME IN NEW ORLEANS. MAX CAPACITY THERE – 83 THOUSAND.

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