As the curtains are ready to fall at the Maha Kumbh on Mahashivratri (Wednesday), a sea of devotees is still heading towards Prayagraj to take a holy dip at Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The Maha Kumbh began on January 13 and till Tuesday, nearly 64 crore devotees have taken a holy dip. This is the largest number of devotees ever to have congregated at Kumbh in its entire history.
The entire Maha Kumbh area has been declared a no-vehicle zone, as over a crore people are expected to join the last Amrit Snan on Mahashivratri. There have been five Amrit Snans till now, on January 13, 14 , 29 and on February 3 and 12.
The Uttar Pradesh government is paying close attention to crowd management. All vehicles approaching Prayagraj are being stopped nearly 20 km away, while the parking area has been increased. Devotees are not being allowed to stay at the Triveni Sangam and other bathing ghats, once their holy dip is over.
The craze has caught up with several top Mumbai film industry stars and politicians. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, film actors Katrina Kaif, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde, minister Pankaja Munde, BJP MP Ravi Kishen were among celebrities who took a holy dip on Monday.
In the state assembly, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath lambasted the opposition parties for trying to deride the arrangements made for Maha Kumbh. He compared their criticisms with vultures that feast on unclaimed bodies and pigs which feed on excreta.
Yogi said, millions of devotees have praised the arrangements at the Maha Kumbh, “but the problem with Samajwadis and Leftists is that, they remain confused throughout their lives and become Sanatani only at the end….Most of the opposition leaders have quietly gone to Maha Kumbh and taken their holy dip.”
Yogi Adityanath has won the political battle that was launched by former CM Akhilesh Yadav over the issue of “poor management” at the Maha Kumbh. Yogi is confident the final figure at Maha Kumbh would cross 65 crore. In other words, nearly half the population of India would have taken a holy dip by the time Maha Kumbh is over.
By successfully organizing the Maha Kumbh, Yogi Adityanath has given a clear reply to his political rivals. The consequences will be seen two years from now. We can say that Yogi has already laid the foundation for his UP assembly election campaign. The “punya” (divine blessings) that has been earned from Maha Kumbh will not only help Yogi, but also provide zest to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in achieving his dream of a Viksit Bharat.