Maha Kumbh ends on note of devotion
Mahakumbh Nagar: The Maha Kumbh, billed to be the world’s largest gathering, ends on Wednesday as it began 45 days ago – with lakhs of devotees surging towards the waters of the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, for a dip on the auspicious day of Shivratri.
The mega religious carnival wound to a close in a montage of images of the stampede that killed at least 30 people, the devout across every spectrum taking a dip in the belief it would cleanse their sins, huge crowds jostling not just at the Sangam but also stations and bus stands in north India and many a political slugfest over contested numbers and how clean the waters were.
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, 1.44 crore people took a holy dip till 6 pm on Wednesday. It said 66.21 crore people have visited Prayagraj since January 13, a number that exceeds the populations of all countries except China and India.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top ministers and film stars were among those who went to the Kumbh.
“From January 13, when the Maha Kumbh began on Paush Purnima, till today on the occasion of Mahashivratri... in 45 days, more than 66 crore 21 lakh devotees have taken a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam. This is unprecedented in world history and truly unforgettable,” Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a post in Hindi on X.
It was a gathering of the faithful and believers but also of those driven by interest in the fabled Kumbh, where religion meets culture, where spirituality and tradition fuse, and where AI and modern-day technology this time blended with ancient stories of gods and miracles. The stars were aligned too with seers claiming that celestial permutations and combinations during the event took place after 144 years.
It was a massive logistical exercise.
The religious fair witnessed unprecedented security measures, including anti-drone systems and AI-enabled cameras, to man the Mahakumbh Nagar’s UP’s makeshift 76th district set up for the event. It was spread across 40 hectares which remained abuzz with activity 24x7 over the past six weeks.
As tourists and pilgrims from distant corners began returning home and vendors, from across the country, readied to shut shop, many were seen trying to take a dip before the Kumbh finally ended. The ritual bath is at the centre of the pilgrimage. Devout Hindus believe the coveted sacred dip at the Sangam leads to ‘moksha’ or salvation, especially during the once-in-12-year planetary alignments.
“To me, the Maha Kumbh would conclude when the last devotee has taken a dip. Put differently, you can say that the mela would end with the start of the new day at ‘Brahm Muhurt’ or early morning on Thursday,” Chidanand Saraswati, the president of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, who is camping at Prayagraj, told PTI.
While pilgrims took a holy dip on the last day of the mega religious event, Sukhoi fighter jets, AN-32 transport aircraft, and Chetak helicopters of the Indian Air Force performed thrilling aerial manoeuvres in the sky above them, leaving the spectators spellbound.
As part of the closing ceremony of the Mahakumbh, the IAF’s skilled pilots showcased incredible aerial acrobatics as the roar of the aircraft drew every eye skyward.
According to an IAF official, the event was specially organised to salute the millions of devotees who had gathered for the Maha Kumbh.
Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh showcased India’s age-old spiritual traditions, from the grand processions of akharas (monastic orders) and the ash-smeared Naga sadhus to modern tech-savvy babas, all of whom camped by the Sangam banks, drawing devotees from across the globe.
The akhara seers participated in three of the total six ‘snans’, known as Amrit snans - Makar Sankranti (January 14) Mauni Amavasya (January 29) and Basant Panchami (February 3). Though not an Amrit Snan, Maha Shivratri dip was among the last of the total six ‘snans’, the other two being Paush Purnima (January 13) and Maaghi Purnima (February 11-12).
The second Amrit snan on January 29 is when chaos – and tragedy -- broke out. The stampede near Sangam banks led to 30 deaths allegedly due to overcrowding.
The tragedy triggered a political slugfest with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slamming the Adityanath-led government to say it was a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’ and the BJP hitting back.
The Samajwadi Party and the Congress accused the Adityanath-led government of concealing the stampede toll.
But the devotees driven by faith, remained undeterred and kept growing in numbers even as a Central Pollution Control Board report on Ganga water quality triggered another controversy.
As millions took a dip in the confluence of rivers, the water quality also came under question amid claims of high levels of faecal bacteria and total coliform. Chief Minister Adityanath rejected the claims and said in the state assembly that Ganga water at the Sangam was fit for both “snan and aachman” (bathing and ritual drinking).
The opposition, including the SP, also questioned the pilgrim footfall cited by the government but the government cited the source of the numbers -- over 3,000 cameras, including 1,800 AI-enabled ones, underwater drones and 60,000 personnel.
“Along with AI cameras, we also maintained regular touch with railways, roadways and airport personnel to corroborate pilgrim data,” a senior official said.
The Kumbh, a familiar trope in Hindi films of the past when brothers and families separated in the surging crowds only to be united at the end, also saw nearly half a dozen fire incidents. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
“As many as 50 fire stations and 20 fire posts were always on standby to meet any situation,” Chief Fire Officer Pramod Sharma noted.
In a first, “underwater drones” capable of diving up to 100 metres were deployed to provide round-the-clock surveillance at the Sangam area, the Culture Ministry had said ahead of the Kumbh.
